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In this episode we look back at the year of podcasts, picking out a few highlights, as we go.

There are a few comments at the beginning of the episode about Glamorgan's record breakers of the 2024 season.

In the episode, you will find clips featuring the following:

Mathew Maynard
Ossie Wheatley
Steve Barwick
Alun Clement and Gareth Edwards of Christchurch Cricket Club
Stuart Williams of Haverfordwest Cricket Club
Ernie Barber of Blaina Cricket Club (with thanks to Alan Rees at the Lords Museum for providing this audio)
Umpire Anna Harris
Amit Shivani (Swansea Strikers) and Ataur Rahman Jaber (Swansea Warriors)
Tim Davies of Hay-On-Wye Cricket Club
Adam Rutherford of The Authors XI
Ray Cox and Mark Jones of Port Talbot Town Cricket Club
Joe Lambe of Cricket Wales and Llandudno Cricket Club
Professor Michael Wilson of Loughborough University
and finally, Henderson Springer once of Haverfordwest Cricket Club.

A big thank you to all those who have been guests on the podcast in the last year and to all those who have listened to it. I look forward to bringing you more stories about the great game of cricket from Wales in 2025.

Don't forget, if you have a story to tell, please get in touch via Facebook, X or by email: mwcpod1921@gmail.com

Very Best wishes to all those who play, watch or participate in the game of cricket in Wales. We will see you in 2025!

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In this episode we talk to Jo Pockett of the ECB and Ahmed Khan and Adnan Haddidi of Llandaff Cricket Club about the Taste of Cricket cookbook, which was produced as part of the wider Raising the Game initiative aimed at improving the diversity of those playing the game and making it a more inclusive and equally accessed sport.

You can read about the cookbook here:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4167334/taste-of-cricket-a-new-cookbook-celebrating-diversity-in-the-game-launches-with-a-host-of-star-contributors

If you would like to buy a copy of the book you can do so here:

https://shop.ecb.co.uk/collections/accessories-1

As part of the campaign, Phil Salt and TV chef Chris Bavin visited Llandaff in the summer. The video capturing that day can be accessed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuVtq6EBXs4

In the episode we talk first to Jo Pockett who outlines the campaign of which Taste of Cricket is a part as well as the details of how the book was planned and made. Then Ahmed and Adnan talk about the Llandaff club and the recipe, 'Leek Bhaji' which they contributed to the cookbook.

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In this episode we meet the cricketing Smale Family from Newport. Mum, Ann-Marie is Deputy Chair at Glamorgan CCC and formed part of the team charged with winning a Tier 1 franchise for the women's game in Wales earlier this year. Sophia and Will are both professional cricketers, making their way in the game after having both been young cricketers at the Newport club.

For more on Ann-Marie you can go here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/board-leadership

And you can read about Glamorgan's bid to bring Tier 1 Women's Cricket to the club here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-bid-for-tier-1-professional-women%E2%80%99s-cricket-team

You can read about Sophia Smale's career to date here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66473326

And see her in action here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOGXJOET0to

We talk about her caught and bowled in last season's The Hundred. You can see that here:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W2t8FjZs4zE

You can read a little more about Will here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/squad-profile/will-smale

And see him batting in the One-Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkszYmNfE6s

The Smale Family is quite unique with mum, son and daughter all involved in the professional game. They talk about their background, the way they play and their top tips for aspiring professional cricketers AND their parents.

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This episode is a chat with Adge John of Saundersfoot Cricket Club.

Adge made the local newpaper headlines in the summer when he finished being scorer for the club. Nothing unusual in that you might think but when you learn that he has been suffering with a debilitating eye disease all his life and is slowly losing his sight, his efforts appear nothing short of amazing.

To read Adge's story you can go here:

https://www.connectpembrokeshire.co.uk/news/2024/september/no-barrier-too-great-for-cricket-scorer-adge-john/

We talk to Adge about his sporting life, his struggles with his deteriorating eyesight and his final game as scorer, The Harrison-Allen Bowl Final 2024.

For those interested in an account of Adge's final game as scorer, you can go here:

http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/cricket/lawrenny-beat-saundersfoot-in-a-tense-final-thriller

For those interested in learning a little more about the work of the welsh Guide Dog Charity, go here:

https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/guide-dogs-cymru/

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In this episode we hear from Newport Cricket Club's Michael Clayden who, this season, became the first player in the history of the South wales Premier League to reach 200 appearances and to score over 6,000 runs in the league.

He has played all his junior and senior cricket for the Newport Club and this loyalty shines through in his inetrview that talks about his batting development, his cricketing heroes, memorable innings and, more recently, his coaching and his captaincy.

The epitome of the one club man, Michael has played at the top end of recreational cricket in Wales for 25 years. His memories and his thoughts tell us a lot about him as a person but also provide some great insights on the game for all cricketers.

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In this episode we talk to ex Glamorgan seam bowler Steve 'Basil' Barwick.

You can read about Steve's first class career here:

https://glamorgancricketarchives.com/steve-barwick/

We begin by talking about his early years playing for Briton Ferry Town and Alan Lewis Jones who introduced him to Glamorgan and the then coach Tom Cartwright. He talks about Tom and how he built his strength up as a bowler.

He talks about his debut for Glamorgan against Sussex at Hove and his first season in 1981.

We talk about some of the international players who played county cricket at the time and some of the bowlers he remembers playing with.

Steve mentions Garth Le Roux as the most difficult batsman he had to bowl against. We also talk about his career best figures of 8 for 42 which he took against Worcester at New Road. You can see the scorecard here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/schweppes-county-championship-1983-468579/worcestershire-vs-glamorgan-470263/full-scorecard

Steve talks about how proud he was to receive his County Cap.

Basil then tells me how he got the nickname!

Steve then describes his experiences as a sufferer of sarcoidosis. He describes the symptoms and the impact the illness has had on his life. You can read more about it here:

https://www.sarcoidosisuk.org/

Steve talks about how he changed his bowling to predominantly off cutters and how he went about his craft. He then goes on to how Glamorgan planned to win matches in the period in the early 90s. We talk about the impact Viv Richards' arrival at the club and the Axa Equity and Law victory in 1993. Steve recalls the final game at Canterbury and what a fantastic day it was.

Steve tells the story of how Ian Botham turned up at this mother and fathers wedding anniversary party.

We finish by talking about Steve's love for the game, how he continued to play cricket after his first class career and what the game has meant to him.

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In this, the second part of our chat with current and ex players and officials we meet Henderson Springer. You can read a little bit about Hendy and his connections with Haverfordwest and the cricket club here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/hendy-springer-53004

http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/home/henderson-says-hello-to-his-pembrokeshire-cricketing-friends

You can hear an interview with him on this Facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=192877061657624

And an article in Barbados today about Hendy's return to the island and its cricket community:

https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/06/19/springer-returns-as-crickets-coaching-boss/

First, we hear my questions to Hendy. He talks about his first impressions of the club and the town, his estimation of the team and what made it successful in the period he was with it. He talks about how he felt coming to the club as a paid professional and a little bit about his approach to coaching.

He tells the story about a lady called Mary Field who's conversation with him is something that has stayed with him throughout his coaching career.

He also gives a message to the club and its members about everyone pitching in to keep the club going for another two hundred years !

The second part of the episode is club members talking about Henderson arriving at the club and their memories of him, both on and off the field!

The final part of the episode is the club members talking about their favourite grounds, both within and outside Pembrokeshire, their connections with the wider game in Wales, including the relationship with Glamorgan and Welsh Fire and the impact of women and girls cricket on the club.

Finally, we hear some favourite stories about the club and its players and memories of a loved ex member of the club, Steve James.

Very sadly, Henderson's mother was taken into hospital on the day of our conversation. She has, since, passed away.

This episode of the podcast is dedicated to her memory and to the memory of Steve James.

Anyone interested in attending one of the remaining functions celebrating the club's bicentenary can find the details via the club's Facebook Page.

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The collected group of ex-players and committee post holders started by telling us who they are and what they were like as cricketers.

We get a picture of the way into cricket which was different for different players, some moving from juniors into seniors and others coming onto the scene as a senior. There were four senior sides in the past and some present played for all four sides.

We talk about a little bit of the older history of the club with contributions from Stuart who outlined the contested question of exactly when the cricket club was formed. Cricket was brought to the area by English gentlemen who played mainly ‘away’ fixtures from 1824 but finally came to the Racecourse Ground in 1839.

Stuart tells the story of why the ground is called ‘The Racecourse’ and also outlines the history of the building of the current Pavillion.

Like in other areas of Wales, english educated gentlemen first brought the game of cricket to the town when returning to their homes.

The first reported game involving members of the Haverfordwest Club took place on 12th August 1835 when a combined Haverfordwest and Pembroke team played members of the Tenby club.

The club is reputed to be the oldest in Wales. A quote from 1839 noted, ‘It is ordered that John Higgon Esquire, and other gentlemen of the cricket club, be allowed to level a spot of ground within the ring of the Racecourse for the purpose of forming a Cricket Ground.’ English educated gentlemen first brought the game of cricket to this part of Wales

One character from the early years of the club was John Henry Philipss. You can read about him here:

https://www.cricketmuseum.wales/the-pembrokeshire-cricketer-who-became-president-of-the-mcc/

In the late 1960s and early 70s discussions got under way regarding the building of a clubhouse. In 1977 the new clubhouse was opened by Wilfred Wooller of Glamorgan CCC and in 1982 the extension was officially opened by Alan Jones esq, Wales pre-eminent first class cricketer and Glamorgan opening bat for many years.

For more detail on the history of the club you can approach them for a copy of the 200th Anniversary Handbook which also contains some great articles on the modern day achievements of the club as well as pieces on its Ladies and Junior Sections.

Simon and Chris outline their favourite performances for Haverfordwest and then the ex-players share their memories of playing for the club.