AT 19 years of age Geraint Jones opens the batting for Whitland Cricket Club first team which has just won the DR Morris Cup for the first time, and at the end of the last rugby campaign joined his colleagues from St Clears RFC in celebrating promotion from Division Three (West) A of the national league set-up.

Geraint hails from the Whitland area and really enjoys his sporting involvement there and with The Saints plays at full back with the added responsibility of assuming kicking duties and accumulating points.

At the moment he is scoring his share of runs with Whitland after starting out as a nipper under the watchful eye of long-time junior coach Colin John, whom Geraint says was a terrific influence on him as he entered his teens.

Mr John said: “Geraint has really grown into a very good cricketer who has worked really hard to get where he is in the first team today - and was always a pleasure to coach because he was ever-ready to listen and learn.”

Geraint started out as a ten year old in cricket after his dad Paul took him there and pretty soon he was playing in the junior cricket format where teams start with a score of 200 and bat in pairs for a set number of overs, and have their scores added, but with runs deducted for every time they lose a wicket.

“So we were encouraged to bat correctly and not throw our wickets away,” explained Geraint, “and I started playing the full format of the game when Owain Evans was captain.

“We did well and later won the Ormond Youth Cup against Burton and I remember how chuffed I was when I scored 30 runs.

“The following season saw us lose to Haverfordwest and I managed 30+ as we were really disappointed to lose - and beat Stackpole in another season in the Plate Final - and I had my top score of that time, which was 85.”

Geraint had already made his senior debut for Whitland’s third XI when he was only 14 and was well looked after by skipper Gwynne Phillips, bowling as well and picking up his share of wickets.

He was playing for Pembrokeshire in his age group and at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, in Whitland.

“With the county we reached the Welsh Final, with Martin Jones as our coach, and we were thrilled to beat Gwent in the final, where I managed to score over 40 runs.”

Geraint eventually broke into second team cricket and was part of the team which beat Haverfordwest in the Alec Colley Cup Final , scoring another 40 runs.

Then three seasons ago Geraint had his introduction to first team cricket and in recent times has opened the batting with either Dylan Blain or Wayne Howells as his partner.

“At first I managed a couple of 20s and in my second season managed 70 against Narberth - and really enjoyed my first century this year as I scored 124 at home to Johnston.

“I hit 22 fours and two sixes so managed exactly 100 in boundaries - and I know I was a bit lucky, having been dropped a couple of times, but it was a memorable moment for me,” admitted Geraint with a chuckle!

On the rugby front, Geraint set out at under 10 level with Whitland RFC under the coaching of Bobby Jameson, moving on to the under 12s with club and county, where Jeff Clout was the erstwhile coach, and playing for Pembrokeshire right through to under 15 level at the same time he was playing for Carmarthenshire Schools.

Geraint played junior club rugby with Narberth alongside talented players like Geraint Gibby but they lost three seasons on the trot against Haverfordwest in the county finals.

Then Geraint played youth rugby with Whitland under the coaching of Mikey Jones and Matthew Greenish, starting out at inside centre and then switching to outside half when Steff Jones got too old.

“I enjoyed it there but when I became too old for youth rugby I thought it was time for a change and since I knew Mikey Jones was coach at St Clears alongside Aled Davies I decided to train with them, enjoyed it thoroughly and played for The Saints in Division Three (West) A.

“It was more physical but not as fast as youth rugby and I soon settled into the side and played almost every game.”

“We lost to Cardigan (away) and Milford Haven (home) but we reversed those results later, with a win at Milford in front of a big crowd a vital result before we beat The Cardis in the last match at home, when we essentially won the league and gained promotion to Division Two West.

“I was given the responsibility for taking the place kicks and enjoyed that involvement as I landed most of them to help keep us going.

“We were presented with the league trophy before at the end of the season and the club had a special celebration night at The Ivybush in Carmarthen to round things off.”

Ask Geraint for the major influences on his sport and he would be quick to name his dad Paul, who played second team football for Wrexham, and his mother Penny, who used to take him everywhere for training, plus his sister Sian, who is a keen horse woman and has always shown an interest in what he was doing sports-wise.

Then there were Colin John, Matthew ‘Titch’ Davies, Stuart Harries and Gwynne Phillips in cricket alongside Mikey Jones and Aled Davies in rugby, to name but a few.

So now Geraint will finish a very good season of cricket at Whitland and has already started training at St Clears for the oval ball game, which certainly keeps him busy sports-wise throughout the year.

In both sports he goes about his business in his quiet, unassuming way but there is no doubt that Geraint Jones has many more years of involvement in cricket and rugby – we wish him every success because he represents all that is good with youngsters taking part in sport in the area!