The Pembrokeshire U12s cricket squad, coaches and supporters recently set sail to the Channel Islands to take part in the annual Jersey U12 Cricket Festival. The festival lasted a week, with four matches against Jersey, Dorset, Guernsey and the Isle of Wight. This left three days to enjoy the hot weather and see the island. By the end of the week, the Pembrokeshire squad could reflect on two wins, a draw and one loss, to the Isle of Wight, who just pipped them at the post for the Festival Trophy.

V. JERSEY

Pembrokeshire played the host team Jersey in the opening encounter at the impressive Les Quennevais Playing Fields in the south-west corner of the island. Jersey won the toss and elected to bat.

The county opening bowlers, the left-armed Scott Helmich (Carew) and the right-armed Rhys Davies (Narberth), provided good pace and direction to contain the islanders to just 13 runs in their allotted eight overs. It fell to the fast medium in-swing bowling of Matthew Kiff (Llangwm) to take the first wicket on tour and, with fellow-change bowler Rhys Davies (Carew) grabbing two, Jersey were 26 for 3 when they came off after 16 overs.

Lee Summons (Johnston) then came on to bowl and, as is so often the case, was soon amongst the wickets, taking 2 for 7 in his four overs of accurate seam bowling. Further wickets by pacemen Ben Jones (Fishguard), Rhys Davies (Llangwm) and Tom Richards (Narberth), who notched two, saw Jersey all out for 106 – a total well within the county's capabilities, but it would depend on how the batsmen reacted to the pitch which had shown an uncharacteristically low bounce, making it very much a front-foot wicket.

Pembrokeshire opened the batting with Scott Arthur (Hundleton) and Rhys Davies (Carew), but were soon in trouble, losing two wickets very cheaply to the Jersey attack. This brought James Salter (St. Ishmaels) in to join Arthur and, together, they set about repairing the damage done. They took the score to 34, building in confidence all the time, but then an untimely mix-up resulted in Arthur being run out for a patient 15.

A cameo innings of nine by the hard-hitting Simon Stanford (Saundersfoot) proved a valuable contribution, particularly when Salter was stumped for a well-constructed 13.

It then fell to Richards (13) and Summons (4) to see Pembrokeshire safely home with an over of their innings left. A good win on a difficult pitch, and a confident start to the festival.

V. DORSET

The second match was played at the idyllic setting of Victoria College, St. Helier. Dorset, if past experience was anything to go by, would prove to be the strongest team in the festival.

This looked very much the case when Pembrokeshire were asked to bat first and were soon in deep trouble at 26 for 5, with only Arthur (10) reaching double figures, which included two boundaries. This brought Adam James (Haverfordwest) to the wicket. Adam has a reputation for livening things up a bit and he certainly did that. Having been dropped first ball, he pulled the next ball for four, was hit in the ribs the very next delivery trying to repeat the stroke, and had to retire.

A further wicket fell, and at 41 for 6 the Pembs. innings looked dead and buried. However, this brought Messrs. Salter and Summons together and they put on a face-saving partnership of 83 runs that exhibited character beyond their years. Starting cautiously with solid defence, they blossomed into astute stroke-play and running between the wickets that was a joy to behold.

Regrettably, both perished in the search for late runs, with Salter stroking 23 (three 4s) and number nine batsman Summons top-scoring with 29 (two 4s). Adam James bravely returned to the crease and struck another boundary to finish on 11, with the total 132 all out.

When Dorset batted, for once the fielding, and particularly the catching, let Pembrokeshire down, and Dorset reached the requisite total for the loss of just two wickets. Opening bowler Scott Helmich, however, once again showed his class and returned figures of 2 for 21 off his seven overs.

The county side was left to reflect on what might have been, had they supported their bowlers more by holding on to the many catches that came their way.

V. GUERNSEY

The FB Playing Fields on the south coast, with its beautiful two-storey, hanging-basket festooned pavilion, provided the back drop for this match, where an ample layer of barrier cream was, once again, the order of the day. Pembrokeshire lost the toss and, understandably, were asked to field under the noonday sun.

The tried and tested pairing of Helmich and Davies (Narberth) opened the attack and, at the end of their eight-over spell, had restricted the Channel Islanders to just 15 for 1, Davies grabbing the scalp.

First-change bowlers Kiff and Davies (Carew) found themselves amongst the wickets again, and deservedly so, Kiff taking 1 for 2 and Davies 3 for 9, in a hostile spell of swing bowling that left Guernsey reeling at 27 for 5.

The diminutive off-spin bowler Nick Davies (Johnston) and medium fast seam bowler Chris Phillips (Haverfordwest) continued the assault on the Guernsey batsmen, celebrating with 2 for 14 and 3 for 8 respectively, to bring the innings to a premature close at 69 after 35 overs.

Pembrokeshire decided to ring the changes and opened their innings with the experimental pairing of James and Richards, two batsmen who like to get on with it! Both took their chances well and hit 48 off 12 overs, before James went for 24 (two 4s).

The fall of another wicket in the same over sent pulses racing a little, but this did not affect Richards (17) who, with Davies (Llangwm) contributing a stylish nine, which included a text-book cover drive to the boundary to finish the match, saw Pembrokeshire home at 72 for 2 in just 19 overs.

v. ISLE OF WIGHT

This was to prove the match to decide the festival winners as the IOW had earlier defeated Dorset, who also lost to Jersey. The Pembrokeshire captain, Scott Arthur, finally won the toss and invited IOW to bat first on a hard fast track at Les Quennevais.

Two wickets apiece for Helmich and Davies (Narberth) gave Pembs. a great start, with the islanders struggling at 22 for 4 after eight overs. Kiff and Davies (Carew) continued to wreak havoc, firing out a further two wickets each to leave IOW on 65 for 8.

However, some stubborn resistance by the IOW tail-enders, coupled with some wayward Pembrokeshire bowling, allowed the islanders to recover to a respectable 120 all out, Jones (Fishguard) taking the last wicket in the 39th over.

The Pembrokeshire reply could not have got off to a worse start, with Richards, James and Stanford failing to trouble the scorers. This brought Davies (Carew) to join opener Kiff and they batted sensibly to take the score to 39, before both went in consecutive overs, Kiff contributing a very useful 19 and Davies five.

Arthur, who had kept wicket in the four matches in temperatures in excess of 28 deg C, came in at number six to join Salter, but with the score 47, another mix-up in the middle between this pair saw Salter run-out for two.

This brought Summons to the wicket and, after a short 'conference' with his skipper, it became apparent that, with half their side out and 73 still needed to win, it would be prudent to try to play out for a draw. Summons went for three, but helped Arthur use up 10 valuable overs. A firm rearguard action then from Davies (Narberth), Davies (Johnston), Phillips and Jones saw Pembrokeshire scrape home for a honourable draw at 79 for 9 that put them in second place in the festival ratings. Arthur finished on 11 not out, having batted for 21 overs.

The 'man' of the tour was between Scott Helmich for leading the singing, Adam James for being the only player to finish-off a full English breakfast every day of the week, and Rhys Davies (Narberth) for being Rhys Davies (Narberth). Davies won it for his Welsh singing, his sense of humour, and for the calm way that he accepted the fact that he did not score a run on tour!

Credit must be given to the boys for their behaviour off the field and the sporting way that they played their cricket on the field. This was apparent when, on one occasion, an opposition early-order batsman had been given out 'run-out' by the umpire when he had mistakenly thought that he had hit a boundary four. After a short consultation, the Pembrokeshire players called the batsman back to the crease to resume his innings.

The parents and supporters on the tour also played their part. When there was a problem with transport, food or drinks, they all pulled together to make it one of the best Pembrokeshire Tours ever, and one that the boys will remember for a long time to come.

The squad was expertly prepared and honed by Nigel Arthur (Hundleton) and Russell Jones (Fishguard).

Baggage and transport arrangements were the responsibility of John Summons, Chris Richards, Gary Davies and Graham Salter. Campsite and match refreshments were provided by Delyth Summons, Linda Davies, Emma Richards, Julie Davies and Irene Salter. The entertainments officer, tour guide and airport consultant was Ray Kane.