Competitive first class cricket will come to Pembrokeshire for the first time next season, when Middlesex travel from Lord's to Lamphey to play Wales in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Although many famous cricketers have played cricket in Pembrokeshire over the years, the matches have been friendly fixtures often raising money for charitable causes.

That will all change on Wednesday, May 5, 2004, when the first ball is bowled in Lamphey when Wales will endeavour to knock Middlesex out of the C and G Trophy, the most famous domestic cup competition in world cricket.

The news has been welcomed by Pembrokeshire's cricketing fraternity.

Bill Marchant, secretary of the Pembroke County Cricket Club, said: "This is very welcome news for Pembrokeshire cricket. We feel sure the Lamphey club will maintain the high standards set by the County Club in ensuring that the occasion is well organised and will do credit to cricket throughout the county. This game can only benefit the promotion of the game within Pembrokeshire and create enough outside awareness for us to be asked to host such a fixture again."

Middlesex are also looking forward to visiting Pembrokeshire for a fixture which will also give a boost to the tourism sector in the county.

Speaking to Observer Sport, Middlesex chief executive, Vinny Codrington, said: "The players, officials and supporters are looking forward to travelling to Pembrokeshire. Our form in the C and G Trophy has been a little mixed and having lost to both Herefordshire and Ireland in previous seasons, we will be taking the fixture against Wales incredibly seriously with a full strength squad.

"Many of our supporters made the trip to Scotland last season and we anticipate that the team will get a good following for the away fixture in Pembrokeshire next May. Supporters have already indicated that they will stay in Pembrokeshire for two or more nights and some will have an extended stay."

Vinny Codrington has been to Pembrokeshire during his playing days at Richmond RFC and also on walking holidays.

Two former Pembrokeshire cricketers, Ian Capon and Alun Evans, played for Wales last season. Capon, one of the quickest bowlers to come out of Pembrokeshire, played club cricket for Neyland before playing for his present club Swansea. Fishguard-based Evans played senior cricket for Dinas, before moving up the line to Ammanford as an early order batsman. After a number of seasons with Glamorgan, Evans has now returned to Ammanford where he created a league record in 2002 for the number of runs scored in a season.

It is not known at this stage whether any current Pembrokeshire club cricketers will make it into the Welsh squad. Lawrenny captain Robert Williams opened the bowling for Wales in some matches in 2002 as did Lamphey's Tim Haggar, while David Lovell also represented Wales as an all-rounder during his few seasons at Lamphey.

A bumper crowd is expected for this prestigious fixture and preparations are already well underway for the historic occasion.