Glamorgan to play in Pembrokeshire by Andrew Hignell

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Ground:

Cresselly Cricket Club Ground

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DateLine: 11th December 2006

 

Glamorgan Cricket have confirmed today that their ECB Trophy match against Surrey on Bank Holiday Monday, May 28th will be played at Cresselly in Pembrokeshire.

 

Glamorgan Chief Executive Mike Fatkin said "We are delighted to be able to fly the flag for cricket in Wales by taking the Surrey match to Pembrokeshire, and in particular to Cresselly, who in previous years have hosted several highly successful Benefit matches. They are also the home club of our opening batsman Dan Cherry, and we hope that other Pembrokeshire players can follow in Dan`s footsteps in years to come."

 

Cresselly Chairman Glyn Cole said: "Cresselly CC is delighted and honoured to host this prestigious fixture. For the first time on a Pembrokeshire ground the cricketing community can view professionals from two first-class counties playing against each other in a competitive contest. This game is a huge boost to cricket in Pembrokeshire and we look forward with eager anticipation to welcoming Glamorgan and Surrey to our ground."

 

This will be the first time that Cresselly will stage a major one-day game, but it`s not however the first time that Glamorgan will have played on Pembrokeshire soil, or at the club, situated north-west of Tenby and Saundersfoot. Since the late 1940`s. the county have played annual friendlies against Pembrokeshire, and in 1991 Cresselly staged the one-day match with Glamorgan.

 

Other Pembrokeshire clubs have also played host to Glamorgan and other county teams. Between 1964 and 1972 Milford Haven was also used by Glamorgan for five of their Second Eleven Championship fixtures, whilst in May 2004 the C&G Trophy match between Wales Minor Counties and Middlesex was played at Lamphey. The Welsh team, and the Glamorgan Academy side have been other regular visitors to grounds in Pembrokeshire.

 

The county of Pembrokeshire can boast some of the oldest club sides in Wales, including Haverfordwest (founded in 1824), Tenby and Pembroke, and as early as 1830 - over 50 years before the present Glamorgan club was founded - there were attempts to form a county team in Pembrokeshire.

 

Cresselly will also become Glamorgan`s first new home ground since 1993 when they played Northamptonshire in an AXA League match at Pentyrch and Zimbabwe in a one-day friendly at Christ College, Brecon. 1993 was also the year when Glamorgan won the AXA League, so perhaps the addition of Cresselly to the club`s fixture list will be a good omen for the 2007 season.