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John Ebeneezer

Players in division three and below may know him as will patients at Withybush Hospital but the name John Ebeneezer isn't one that is familiar with many within the Pembrokeshire fraternity; yet it's because of him that an e-mail was circulated to all clubs regarding a trend that has crept into the game.

Unlike an escalation in unsporting behaviour and ill discipline towards umpires, John's crime, if it can be called that, was to wear a head camera to film last year's Ken Morris final (which was actually played this year).

No-one batted an eyelid during the game, some of the opposition even asked for footage of them batting but after spending six hours editing his film to produce just a two minute clip, he was asked to take it down for safeguarding issues.

Heartbreaking for his efforts, annoying for the batsmen wanting to see themselves on film and baffling for many social media viewers who are used to seeing cricket on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The advent of social media has transformed the way cricket is promoted and followed. You just have to think back to the final game of the season when Cresselly took on Lawrenny to see that. 

As the game reached its crescendo, Western Telegraph Journalist Fraser Watson became the most popular man on twitter as his regular updates of an enthralling game had people glued to their screens.

A club in Surrey, @SandersteadCC, has embraced it too with their YouTube channel being viewed across 30 countries and being followed by over 7,500 subscribers.

Without realising it, you will have seen them in this clip below.

The best way to start a game... but bowled out for 58 🙈 pic.twitter.com/FPtpOEozV3

— Cricket Shouts (@crickshouts) May 23, 2019

Here’s a bit of local press on https://t.co/kIsdwzng3g First game posted and more to come this weekend (weather permitting!) pic.twitter.com/6LIABpioxX

— Sanderstead CC (@SandersteadCC) April 24, 2019

Lawrenny have plans to embrace this medium.

Not content with installing a fantastic electronic scoreboard (designed and built by first team player James Phillips thus saving the club hundreds if not thousands of pounds) and a giant screen to view sporting occasions, they want to install cameras to live stream matches.

Imagine that? Imagine if the game between Cresselly and Lawrenny was live streamed instead of just tweeted about?

Some boffin (James Phillips is one apparently) would find a way of displaying it on a big screen in clubhouses, pubs and restaurants throughout the county and beyond and it would have enthralled people just like the Ashes contest in Edgbaston in 2005.

But what if the livestream identified someone on the boundary that didn't want to be identified? A child in care or a woman fleeing an abusive relationship for example?

That's where the problem lies and one which promoted the County Executive to issue the e-mail.

Contrary to some who believed the reason for the ban in head cams was to prevent dodgy umpiring decisions to be shared by disgruntled players, the request was made in order to safeguard those that need safeguarding.

"That's why the e-mail was sent," said Pembroke County Cricket Club Child Welfare and Registration Officer Dave Loosmore.

"At this moment in time we're a bit uneasy with it so we're asking people not to livestream matches or put videos online in case people can be identified.

"That may change in the future, but that's our stance at the moment."

It's a view that could irk many but one that's worthwhile where playing members are concerned too.

As Cresselly's Stefan Jenkins said in a tweet 'Cricket is in a unique position where children can play in the senior games - so long as that continues safeguarding measures for everyone will always take priority.'

'Terrific point' replied Iestyn Scourfield.