This week Bill Carne met up with Andrew Scott-Davies, one of the busiest cricket administrators in Pembrokeshire, to find out a little more about his role as chairman at Pembroke Dock Cricket Club and as Hon Treasurer with the Pembroke County Cricket Club . . .

Andrew Scott-Davies is living proof that sport needs its administrators because he would be the first to admit that he hasn't played as much cricket as some people in Pembrokeshire but he has a vital role as chairman of Pembroke Dock Cricket Club and doubles up as Hon Treasurer of the Pembroke County Cricket Club.

He got involved at Imble Lane purely by chance after he'd got acquainted with Maurice Leyland and found they shared a mutual love of cricket. Now Maurice has been involved with Pembroke Dock Cricket Club for nigh on 50 years and it wasn't long before he had roped in Andrew to go up to the club and within a short time he found himself roped onto the committee - and before long was also installed as chairman!

Since then he has tried to keep the club committee focussed on the club's development, especially with regard to the fact that the senior sides have maintained their positions in the league - and there has been a real boost in the numbers of juniors, ladies and cricketers with a disability getting involved.

"We have terrific people on the committee," Andrew told us, "with the likes of Maurice, John Davies and James Olyott involved alongside Peter Kingdom, Nick Daley and Craig Butland involved.

"Nick runs the under 9s whilst Craig took the youth team to the Ormond Plate Final as proof of the progress made there, with a total of six coaches now involved.

"We have one of the best cricket pitches in the county but our aim now must be to try and make Pembroke Dock Cricket Club more of a focal point in the town's community and then we'll really be on the right track."

One of the ways that Andrew and his colleagues have tried to attract more people to the club was a recent open evening where they had a game for prospective ladies to enjoy a taste of cricket, plus an invitation for anyone with a disability to join the three players they already have being involved.

The club has worked with Angela Miles, the Disability Officer for Sport Pembrokeshire, and its efforts have been rewarded with the presentation of the ribbon standard of 'insport' accreditation - and they are working towards the bronze ribbon as the next stage.

"Angela has been a real help, as has Alan Jones, who is also from Sport Pembrokeshire and has guided us through our 'Community Chest' grant applications," said Andrew.

Andrew began his involvement at county level in similar fashion after Micky Phillips had said he was going to step down as Hon Treasurer. Now Andrew is an accountant by profession and when committee member Nick Evans asked him if he would take on the role he gave it a little thought and then readily agreed.

"I knew that Micky was leaving a big pair of shoes to fill when I took on the job three years ago now but to be honest I wasn't aware of how much there was to do,” admitted Andrew.

"In September I start preparing the end-of-year accounts and from there it is almost time to get them ready for the annual general meeting so that I can answer any questions for members about where the money has gone.

"Once that is over we start the pre-season invoices to be sent out for clubs, vice-presidents and members - and then the new cricket balls arrive on a palette before I store them in my garage prior to getting them out to the clubs who have ordered them.

"Then when the season starts I get in more cash from members who like to pay their subs on the boundaries, followed by the cash collected from the cup finals, where I help to collect the entrance money before banking it.

"There are also monthly meetings to service and, sadly, the odd disciplinary meeting but I have been lucky that Micky is always available for advice and I have great support from Steve Blowes, Tony Scourfield and Paul Webb as other officers in the county club."

Before his involvement in local cricket, Andrew was a useful squash player at the Dial Inn, Lamphey and has walked the length of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in a series of treks.

He also enjoyed running and has competed in four marathons: London twice, Dublin and New York, not bad going for an asthma sufferer, with plenty of support from his late mother, Hazel Davies.

He first ran the London Marathon eighteen years ago to raise funds to help Asthma sufferers and was delighted to complete the course after hitting the dreaded 'wall' at about 20 miles.

"I was lucky that at that stage I was offered a couple of mini Mars bars and the glucose rush certainly raised my energy levels on the run-in.

"So when I got home I wrote to Mars to say what a help the bars had been and they did a feature on me for their in-house magazine - and sent me a pack with 48 ordinary-sized Mars bars, which I shared with the people who had sponsored me!

"I did a second London Marathon and both were fantastic in terms of crowd support, with the Dublin Marathon a little quieter but lovely, and the New York one an amazing experience which I ran for 'Whizz Kids', the charity which helps kids with a disability."

Andrew also enjoys cycling and. if things go to plan, he might well do the organised 'London to Paris' cycle ride some day soon.

He started his passion for cricket in the early 1970s when he watched England take on an Australian team which included Lillee and Thompson - and watched it in Natal when he worked in South Africa. He also saw test matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when he was in Australia and he still goes to watch international cricket at Cardiff and Edgbaston with Maurice Leyland and a few of the other Pembroke Dock cricketers.

Steve Blowes, the Hon Secretary at the Pembroke County Cricket Club, told us,

"Andrew joined the committee shortly after I did and he has settled in really well to a key role with the County Cricket Club. He gets on with the job in his unfussy way and we were lucky to find him when we needed a new Hon Treasurer with experience."

High praise indeed from someone who is similarly down to earth and performing a key role in county cricket.

Talk to Andrew Scott-Davies for a while and it is easy to see his enthusiasm for cricket at Pembroke Dock and the Pembroke County Cricket Club - and we can only agree with Steve Blowes that the work Andrew does is hugely beneficial - and long may he continue to be involved!