This week Bill Carne popped across to Lamphey to talk to Hywel Gibbs, who is getting ready to begin his 21st season on a roller-coaster ride with the local cricket club...

WHEN the new cricket season starts for 2015 it will be the 21st campaign that Hywel Gibbs has played as an all-rounder for Lamphey and can look back on a roller coaster ride where his club has laid claim to being the top in the county with Division One titles and Harrison-Allen Bowl successes – but now find themselves in division three and playing against the second teams of opponents they used to beat!

But Hywel would say that he wouldn’t have missed a moment of his involvement and still enjoys playing alongside some real characters that include Steve Vale as skipper, who was his best man when he married wife Claire, and the likes of Andrew Skeels and Haydn Cole, who have been with Lamphey even longer than he has.

That Hywel should be involved in cricket should come as no surprise because his father David played for Kilgetty as an off-spinner and is still held in high regard as a pundit of the game who writes in the local press.

His mum Margaret was no great follower of the game and neither was sister Lisa but both always encouraged him to play – and the same could be said of Claire.

“To be honest she hates the game and is a reluctant maker of teas when her turn comes around – and knows how much it means to me. We have a smashing son called Callen (three and half) and one of my ambitions is still to be playing alongside him when he is old enough to pick up a bat for the club.

“Dad has been my main inspiration,” Hywel told us, “from the time when I was a nipper and I used to go and watch him play for Llanyrafan CC when we used to live in Cwmbran.

“Then we moved to Kilgetty in 1975, when I was six, and by the time I was 11 I was playing in the under 15 team which lost to Narberth in the league play-offs for that age group and captained the team a few years later when they beat St Ishmaels down in Tish.

“I scored 49 not out as we scored only 80 runs – and I was very lucky because I was bowled by Andrew Williams early on but a no-ball was called. I also claimed 3 for 13, including the key wickets of Karl Rhead and Andrew Willams and I remember how thrilled I was to receive the trophy.”

Hywel moved up to play for the seconds and marked his debut at Llanrhian with a catch off the first ball bowled by Dai ‘Trunch’ Evans before claiming four wickets himself – and by the time he was 14 he was chosen for his first team debut at Saundersfoot.

“I was very nervous about bowling and Barry ‘Feb’ Phillips smashed me to all corners of the ground so I lost count of the runs I conceded in four overs – but at 16 I returned there with Graham Jenkins as captain and grabbed 6 for 25, which was my best analysis in Division One!”

Outside of his cricket, Hywel played rugby at STP School and was chosen at full back for the county squad at full back. He was also county 800 metres champion, something that might surprise his cricketing friends across the county and played football for Kilgetty under 12s, alongside Dean Rossiter, Neil Proctor and the Bullock twins, Richard and Paul, as they reached the county final against Goodwick United. Throw in some squash and the odd game of golf and it is easy to see that Hywel certainly loves his sport!

“There were some lovely characters at Kilgetty,” said Hywel, not least Graham and Rose Jenkins, but in 1995 I felt it was time for a new challenge and when John Green invited me to join him in division two at Lamphey I was pleased to get my chance there as an all-rounder.

“It was an interesting time, to say the least, because we were joined by Australian professional Brett Johnston alongside Peter Morris, Alan and Gareth Lewis, Mark Evans, Messrs Skeels and Coles – and eventually we moved into the top echelon.

“When Brett went home we had Geoff Cullen as a more than adequate replacement and within weeks we had a second Aussie in David Lovell, two top notch players, and there was a furore from some opponents about their being with Lamphey.

“We had our first chance of a Harrison-Allen Final as we played Llangwm in Hook but I dropped Simon Kiff at long off and it cost us the match.

“Over the years we also had other top overseas players like Michael Taylor, Tyrone Greenaway and Vasbert Drakes, and in 1998 Lamphey made it to the Bowl Final where an amazing catch by keeper Huw Scriven inspired Haverfordwest to victory as the batsman was Brendan Nash, who came from Australia but went on to play for the West Indies.

“There were always big crowds to watch us play cup matches, most in the hope that we would lose and we faced lots of comments from groups, but players in a one-to-one situation were fine. When we played Hook they had tee shirts which said ‘Hook versus the Rest of the World’, which we thought was a nice touch of humour

“We also reached the Welsh Cup Final before losing to a very strong Ynysygerwyn side and we played them on another occasion when England fast bowler Simon Jones was starting out and he had Dave Lovell and Brendan Nash out cheaply. Brian Hall played him quite well and when I batted I felt it exhilarating to play someone with such immense speed.

“It was a really exciting time in my cricket – but then the wheels came off,” admitted Hywel with typical honesty.

“David Lovell, who was a great player, went back to Australia, John Green was busy with his business interests and over a period we lost players of the calibre of Dan Sutton, Gareth Lewis, Mark Yea, Craig Nutty, Brian and Peter Hall.

“No club could survive that outflow of players and we were relegated to the second division and then to division three – and although we managed one promotion we were soon back in division three, which is where we are now.

During his time at Lamphey, Hywel has a top score of 109 not out and his best bowling figures came whilst playing for Cardiff Met against Swansea University, where he claimed 7 for 10

Ask Hywel why he stayed, and took on the roles of club secretary and captain at different times and he says that he felt loyalty to a club which had always showed him respect and where he still had lots of friends.

“It wasn’t the best of times,” Hywel told us because I went through a spell of being unable to bowl fast any more and later discovered I was developing diabetes.

“So I turned to spin bowling and I am enjoying that new involvement alongside my moving up the batting order.

“We are looking forward to the new campaign and are hopeful that we can have Tom Powell, James Skeels and Gianluca Tremarco in our team – and then we will be competitive at this level.”

But whatever happens Hywel Gibbs will continue to give 100% in the Lamphey cause and we wish him many years more involvement with a club, and sport, that he has served so well!