Paul Davies: Whitland Cricket Legend!

For many years it has always been a pleasure to bump into Paul Davies at Whitland Cricket Club during the season because he has been a nice guy as well as a classy batsman - but in the last few years he has been taking a rest from the summer sport and we meet instead for a chat at the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium because his talented young son Lucas is now a regular member of the Haverfordwest County senior squad and captains the club’s academy side.
Lucas, who is now 18, has already enjoyed a short stint on the field with The Bluebirds’ squad in one of their European matches at the Cardiff City Stadium - and it was a pleasure to have a chat with Paul and his wife Tara, plus sister Ruby (15), outside the ground that took me back to the days when he was a very talented young cricketer and was playing in the Whitland squad alongside his late father Hilliard, one of the most talented, and respected, members of Pembrokeshire Cricket for many, many years.

Early start at Whitland

Although following his son was just one of the reasons Paul called a halt to his own playing days he could one day make a come-back as a talented left-handed batsman after starting out at the age of nine and going through the respective age-game groups in Whitland.
“I played my first game of senior cricket at 11, going from fine leg to fine leg in the field and not bowling or batting - but I remember that I enjoyed the tea,” Paul told us, wearing his typical grin!
“I lived next door to James and Charles Owen and we spent all our spare time practising in our gardens - and throughout my days in youth cricket we were coached by Dr Allen, I played a season for Carmarthen Wanderers as Carmarthenshire youth age group played an extra year compared to Pembrokeshire. They used to pick me up and drop me home for every training session and game, which was about a 30-mile round trip.”

Learned a lot
in seconds’ cricket

“By the time I was 13 I was playing in the seconds where I was looked after by Brian Cook as captain. In general, I was just a fielder but in one game I batted out the last six overs whilst scoring two runs but Brian was pleased because the draw points were good in that era. I was very lucky to be involved with Whitland in my younger days with the likes of Trefor Evans, Colin John, Barry Webb, Colin Davies, Ray Harley, Dai John, Darwood Parker to name just a few.
“Then it was into the first team and I scored a few runs without setting the world alight but we had a good side and I’m not sure I was badly missed when I had to give up for three years because my work at Stena in Fishguard had me unavailable on most weekends. Working for Stena was also the place where I met my lovely wife Tara, as she missed the boat she was supposed to work on one morning and was made to work in the shore shop where I worked. We went for breakfast to a local cafe on our break, which I paid for, and the rest is history.

Making his name in the first team

“But then I returned to the side that was boosted by Australian all-rounder Jordan Buckley and played in the No 3 position- and had great success alongside Paul Webb, who was in fine fettle as opener.
We shared good stands on a regular basis and in one game we both scored a hundred as part of a very big score.
“We got promoted that same season I returned and I remember Jamie Phelps saying to me after I scored a century at home against them plus another century in the same season in away in Hook, “Good luck mate, but we won’t miss the sight of you coming here!” Something I will always remember.
“Jordan was also in the runs but I was still ‘top run scorer’ for quite a few seasons and I would have to admit that I was well-known for fielding at gully or backward square leg because I wasn’t afraid to dive and use my 6 feet 5 inches frame! I once caught Haverfordwest pro Henderson Springer in the latter position but there was debate about whether he had hit the ball but he was given not-out; however, most of the fielders on the pitch could hear the sound of the ball hitting the bat.
“I also enjoyed catching out my old pal Gregg Miller (Neyland) because we both maintained we were the better fielder - and I came out on top a few times, as he did!”

The Bowl Final an undoubted highlight

“One of the undoubted highlights was playing in the Harrison-Allen Bowl Final with Whitland when we beat Carew under the captaincy of Matthew ‘Titch’ Davies, with players of the calibre of Jonathan Thomas, David Dunfee, Ed John, Mark and Dave Lee - and although I didn’t score a pile of runs, as I had hoped, I played a good part in the field.”
Paul would say the celebrations afterwards provided a long night that he will never forget and achieved an ambition that every local cricketer dreams of but few achieve!

Football featured
as Lucas grew up

Moving away from cricket, Paul did play football in goal for Llanboidy with his cricketing pal Mark Lee and Dave Lee, and when he lived in Fishguard during his work there he did manage a few games as a central midfield with The Sports.
But his renewed acquaintance with football came as Lucas showed what a talented young player he was who soon attracted the attention of selectors and he played for the Welsh Schools XI eight times, including matches against England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, three games in Italy and against Australia for the Welsh Colleges alongside current Haverfordwest team-mate Harry John.
“The academy team plays on Sundays and we watch all the home games and some of the away matches if work allows because I work for Friday Media Group in the week and keep very busy as a partner and I run some holiday lets in Tenby.
My 9-5 for Friday media group involves protecting customers from being scammed and helping people with their everyday use of one of our 20 websites. The team and myself, which is based in Lahore, Pakistan, try our best to stay ahead of the scammers to protect our users.

And finally. . .

Going back to his own cricketing days, Paul is not the sort to recall loads of facts and figures but he can remember he scored nine centuries, including one in a Welsh Cup game at Drefach.
“I also played for a county senior team captained by Andrew Miller, the Welsh Over 40s team led by Simon Holliday and an MCC team in Aberystwyth after being invited to play by a Dr Davies.”
Ask him about making a return to his main sport alongside playing table tennis and squash socially and Paul says it is a possibility rather than a probability but, in the meanwhile, he is happy to watch the development of Lucas’s growing football career.
We at FeelGood Magazine Pembrokeshire are always more than happy to see Paul Davies at The Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium, which is always a pleasure - and the anticipation is very much alive on our part that one day he might even boost our animated chats with the long-promised cup of coffee for an old age pensioner!