South Wales Cricket Association
Established 1926
Chair's Message
Where do I begin, because of covid 19 over the last couple of years,
which have probably been the most difficult for club cricket since World War 2.
Starting in 2020 clubs were not sure of
playing any cricket, we as a management committee decided that those who had
paid their membership it would also cover them for 2021, As a gesture of
goodwill we also paid clubs Cricket Wales membership for both 2020 &
2021.
Moving on to 2021, the season started on time,
with no changing rooms, no teas & sanitize breaks, these rules were relaxed
towards the end of the season, with most matches being played, clubs who had
covid 19 within their ranks were given permission to rearrange matches wherever
possible, At the end of the season Llanelli were Division 1 Champions &
promoted to the South Wales Premier League, Baglan Division 2 Champions with Aberdare
promoted, Merthyr Division 3 Champions with Pontyberem promoted, Pontardawe
Division 4 Champions with Briton Ferry Steel promoted, Skewen Division 5
Champions with Maesteg promoted, Dunvant Division 6 Champions with Morriston
promoted, Pontarddulais Division 7 Champions with Pontardawe promoted, Gowerton
Division 8 Champions with the Wildboar Centurions as runners up. Swansea again won the Senior Cup and
Pontardawe the Intermediate Cup. Fair Play Trophies went to Llandysul in
Division 1 (2nd time) & Baglan in Division 2.
At the Presentation Night the Chairman’s Award
was presented by Leshia Hawkins the CEO of Cricket Wales to Seren
Hughes of Briton Ferry Steel (28.08.21) for scoring 105 (115 balls, 14 4s)
against Kidwelly, the first female player to score a hundred in the
Association, it is believed to be the first scored in Saturday league cricket
in Wales.
Also on the night the raffle raised £500.00 which was presented to the
Mumbles Life Boat.
Most clubs have embraced the change to
coloured clothing with now not many teams playing in white, we did have a lot
of red cricket balls in stock, but we are now changing to Pink
cricket balls for all Divisions apart from Division 1 who will trial Orange
cricket balls, any clubs with red cricket balls left, please use them up before
using the new ones.
As clubs have been unable to provide teas for
most of the last 2 years, we decided for the forthcoming season to leave it up
to clubs, If you wish to provide teas that is fine, if
you do not wish to provide teas that is also fine, all we ask is will you
please inform the away team and also the umpires of your intention.
I would like to thank some people as I do
every year, but this time they carried out their duties under extreme difficult
circumstances, firstly Steve Jones (Secretary) for his day to day work also
organising meetings on firstly Microsoft teams then on Zoom, Alan Winkley
(Treasurer) for keeping an eye on our finances, Scott Wilks (Assistant
Secretary) for looking after the match results, Richard Lewis (Umpires Adminstrator) for trying to providing umpires to as many
matches as possible Ben Roberts &
Angharad Rees for taking charge of Safeguarding within the Association, I would
like also to thank the rest of the management committee for their contribution
over the last 2 years.
The Association representative side played 4
matches during the season in the new coloured kit provided by EV2, We played Pembroke County home & away, Maesteg who were
celebrating their 175th Anniversary, also our annual fixture with
the MCC, this year several younger players were given the opportunity to play representative
cricket, with the aim of producing a side to represent the Association in our
centenary year in 2026.
With the demise of the West Wales Cricket
Association in 2019, those teams left choose to join the SWCA and played their
first matches during 2021, a new team joined Wildboar Centurions, and 2 further
new teams who will be playing in 2022 Penygroes & Swansea Warriors.
There has been a lot of debate about Premier
League 2nd X1s returning to the feeder leagues, clubs in the east
have decided to return, clubs in the west will remain as a stand alone development league.
Can I wish everybody good luck for the 2022 season.
Neil Hobbs
(Hon Chair)