In the quickest and quietest annual general meeting on record, the Pembroke County Cricket Club appointed officers and made minor rule changes for the new season.

Haverfordwest Cricket Club was packed out with representatives of member clubs and individual members and as usual some important changes were made to the way in which cricket is played and administered in Pembrokeshire.

After 17 years in office, Bill Marchant stood down as secretary of the County Club.

A presentation was made to Bill Marchant on behalf of the executive committee by the county chairman, Philip Thomas, in recognition of his exemplary service to the County Club. Over £1,000 had been collected, which was an indication of the esteem with which Bill Marchant was held throughout the county and beyond. As a result, the county chairman presented him with holiday vouchers for two from Ocky White Travel.

Stanley Richards, of St. Ishmaels, who served as president from 1998 to 2001, was appointed for a second term at the meeting, to succeed the late Cyril Venables, of Burton.

John Harries, of Hundleton, who did such a good job collating results and preparing league tables last season, was appointed to fill the vacant office of assistant secretary, and former chairman, Bob Flute, was appointed to the new post of child welfare officer.

All other officers were unchanged and there were no changes to the composition of the various committees other than the executive committee where Robert Summons, of Haverfordwest, did not seek re-election.

The full list of officers and committee members for the ensuing year is: pesident - Stanley Richards; chairman - Philip Thomas; vice-chairman - David Morris; secretary - no appointment; assistant secretary - John Harries; treasurer - Roland Edwards; child welfare officer - Bob Flute; cricket development officer - no appointment; grounds advisor - Brian James; and Junior League organiser - Graham Morris.

Executive and finance committee - Nick Evans, Trefor Evans, Euros Jones, Andrew Phillips, and Tony Scourfield (Robert Summons, of Haverfordwest, did not seek re-election and no other nominations were received)

Senior selection committee - Hilliard Davies, Nick Evans, David Morris, Stanley Richards and Phillip Thomas

Youth and Junior selection committee - Brian Griffiths, Nigel Arthur, Hugh Davies, Paul Kemp and Bob Simons.

There were the usual attempts to tinker with the rules and all rule changes went through on the nod. There was no debate on any proposal and nobody could recall this ever happening at a previous County Cricket Club AGM

The rule change which will have a major impact on all cricketers, umpires and scorers was the proposal by vice-chairman David Morris and former chairman Bill Carne that all league matches shall commence at 1.45 pm throughout the season.

Last season all matches started at 2 pm during May, June and July and at 1.45 pm during August.

In presenting his annual report, the retiring county secretary, Bill Marchant, reviewed events of the previous 12 months, both on and off the field.

Reporting on sponsorship, he said that Dragon Sports, of Haverfordwest, would continue to sponsor the league, Mr. Hugh Harrison-Allen, together with Graham/Jewson, the Harrison Allen Bowl, Dick Parry, of Robeston Wathen, the Alec Colley Cup, Tony Pidgeon, the Orrmond Youth Cup, Fussell Wright, the Junior Leagues, Ocky White and Skelfayre, repectively, the Ladies League and Cup, and the Martin James Health Club, of Kilgetty, the sponsorship of the Indoor League.

With regard to ladies cricket, last season saw seven ladies cricket teams enter the Ocky White Ladies cricket league, which was won by Neyland.

The Skelfayre Knock Out Cup competition was won by Herbrandston.

The Pembroke County Cricket Club was still, by far, the biggest organiser of ladies cricket in Wales. To give some idea as to the strength of ladies cricket in the county, last season no fewer than six Pembrokeshire ladies were again selected to play for Wales. Two young ladies, Emma Summons and Naomi James, both of Johnston cricket club, played for the Welsh under 16 representative team in a tournament at Lughborough.

Ladies cricket was a part of sport that was fully encouraged by the Sports Council for Wales, the England and Wales Cricket Board and by Sportlot, who were more inclined to look a second time at a Cricket Sportlot application if it had as wide an appeal as possible.

On the subject of Junior cricket, Bill Marchant reported that for some time the County Club had tried to highlight the benefits for Pembrokeshire youth and junior cricket to be granted regional status.

He said: "We have campaigned for years, with our efforts generally being ignored. However, we now have high hopes that opinions are changing.

"On Monday evening, your chairman, together with Robert Simons and myself were invited to make a presentation to the full committee of the Cricket Board of Wales in Cardiff as to why Pembrokeshire should be recognised as a region. Whilst we did not come away with any decision either way, I can assure you from feedback I have received, that the presentation was very well received by all members of the committee with very few objections from CBW members.

"However, whilst the CBW only meet quarterly, with the next meeting due at the end of June, the CBW have decided to hold a special committee meeting on April 5 when the only item on the agenda will be our application for regional status. This is the first time that CBW members can recall that a special meeting of this kind has been called. If our application is successful our regional status will not commence until 2005.

"The fact that our presentation went so well was down to the efforts of a number of people and I must make mention of the superb presentation put together by Robert Simons, Ray Kane, Stuart Beresford and Martin Jones."

The county secretary reported that the new County Handbook was well underway and the secretary was anxious to hear of any changes of club secretary, address, telephone number or email address, as well as any errors or spelling mistakes which may have been spotted in last year's handbook.