Bank Holiday Monday, May 28, heralds Pembrokeshire's biggest ever sporting event. Glamorgan Dragons will place Surrey Brown Caps at Cresselly Cricket Club. Here, Observer sports reporter David Gibbs takes a preview of the match.
What the Glamorgan players say
Glamorgan captain David Hemp: "It will be a bit different to play outside the usual ground such as Cardiff and Swansea so frequently this season. All the reports have been positive both about the ground and about the set up at Cresselly so I'm looking forward to it. "Glamorgan Under 19s used to play in Pembrokeshire on a regular basis and I've played at various grounds including Cresselly. We've always enjoyed our time in Pembrokeshire and have been looked after very well. I'm sure that this will be the case when we play Surrey. "When the Surrey boys come to Swansea they complain about the distance from the Oval so it will be a bit of a challenge for them to play at Cresselly which might work in our favour. "Glamorgan players are used to playing on smaller grounds like Abergavenny or Ebbw Vale whereas they are used to playing on a large ground at the Oval. We can use this to our advantage." Will Glamorgan be looking for a big total on a small ground with small boundaries? Hemp replied: "Sometimes small boundaries can be misleading. A lot depends on the work of the ground staff and the state of the wicket so that big totals do not necessarily follow as a result of the match being played on a small ground." Glamorgan opening batsman Dan Cherry said: "It would be a very special occasion and truly amazing. I've just got to get myself in the team. That will be the hard bit but if I play it will be one of the biggest days of my cricketing life to be able to play in front of my home crowd for Glamorgan. "I'm not worried too much about that at the minute. If I can get in to the team, great, if not perhaps I can get into the squad as 12th man to be part of the atmosphere at Cresselly! "If the weather if right it should be a cracking day. It will be an absolutely fantastic day and it is a superb coup for Pembrokeshire cricket. "Obviously we cannot do anything about the weather, but if the weather is good there will be a superb crowd there. The facilities will be up to scratch and it will be an excellent game of cricket. "With Surrey being the bigwigs of county cricket coming down, it makes it even more special." Glamorgan and England fast bowler Simon Jones said: "I have played a number of matches in Pembrokeshire over the years starting off with Llanelli Schools against the likes of Greenhill School in Tenby. I have also played in some benefit games. "Quiet a few cricketers have come out of Pembrokeshire including former Glamorgan batsman Alun Evans and current opening batsman Dan Cherry. "I enjoy visiting Pembrokeshire as it is a great place to play and you always have a nice reception." Promising all-rounder Ryan Watkins said: "I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the two benefit matches at Cresselly. All of the people are fantastic and it is a lovely little ground. It reminds me very much of where I used to play my club cricket in Blackwood. "It will be brilliant to play cricket down at Cresselly and we are really looking forward to it. We had a good crowd there for the benefit games and if the weather stays fin we should draw crowds in for the real thing and it will be superb. "The Glamorgan players have more experience playing on smaller grounds than the Surrey players and there should be some big scores."
Ground preparations
Cresselly chairman and groundsman Glyn Cole, assisted by Dennis Chiffi and Philip James, has been busy getting the pitch ready for the big day under the supervision of Glamorgan head groundsman Len Smith. Len Smith and Glyn Cole have been working together for months making sure that the Cresselly ground is ready for Pembrokeshire's biggest ever sporting event. Commenting to Observer Sport he said: "We are making sure that the pitch is thoroughly prepared. Normally it takes eight to 12 days to get a pitch ready for first class cricketers whether it is a county ground or a festival ground (one of his pet hates is the phrase 'out grounds'). We are half-way through this programme and the pitch is getting on a treat. Glyn Cole covered the pitch a few days ago anticipating rain and if he had not acted so promptly we would really be under the cosh." What requirements are taken into account in determining if a festival ground is up to standard for first class cricketers? He replied: "It is important to get to know the groundsman and to look at various key factors including a soil profile of the square. If there are various layers it is difficult and we must make sure that the pitch does not produce variable bounce. "At Cardiff, we have four inches of cricket clay loam and at Cresselly the depth is a little under two inches. It will not be a very quick pitch but it will be a good batting track as long as the weather holds." Smith inspects cricket grounds in West Wales on a regular basis as part of the Cricket Board of Wales scheme. He added: "I have built up a close working relationship with Glyn Cole over the last three years and he has visited us at Sophia Gardens frequently. In addition we speak regularly on the phone and we took the view at Glamorgan that he was a very dedicated groundsman and keen as mustard. The Glamorgan players involved in the two benefit matches at Cresselly in 2006 and 2004 thoroughly enjoyed it. The pitch was as safe as houses and good for batting. With a good track on a small ground there should be plenty of runs." He added, "It is important that the weather is good and from a personal point of view I'd like to think that Glamorgan could return to play in Pembrokeshire again. I love this part of Wales, everyone at the Cresselly club has been most helpful and cricket has a huge following in Pembrokeshire."
Travelling and parking
There will be a large car park for spectators in a field opposite the entrance to the Cresselly Cricket Ground. The car parking fee will be £3 for cars and £5 for mini-buses. Supporters travelling to the ground from the southern parts of Pembrokeshire, such as Pembroke, Tenby and Saundersfoot, are advised to take the A477 to Carew and then to take the A4075 towards Cresselly. There will be two entrances to the car park, one for spectators travelling from Canaston Bridge and another for spectators travelling from Carew. The same entrances can also be used as exits from the car park, but there will also be two exits at the bottom of the large field near Cresswell Quay. Once inside the car park, cars will line up in four lanes positioned near each entrance before arriving at the paying point. This will avoid traffic building up on the A4075 outside the cricket ground. Supporters travelling to the match in organised parties by coach should contact Cresselly Cricket Club, as there are special parking arrangements for buses in a separate bus park.
Match tickets
Match tickets, priced £15 for adults and £8 for juniors under 16, can be obtained from Cresselly Cricket Club and various other outlets in Pembrokeshire including: The Cresselly Arms Cresswell Quay; Naturals, West Street, Fishguard (contact Mrs. Jean Morris); Ocky White Travel, Bridge Street, Haverfordwest; Andrew Rees, Butcher, High Street, Narberth; Pembroke Bookshop, Main Street, Pembroke and Dale's Music Shop, High Street, Tenby. Tickets are also available through the Glamorgan office in Cardiff or through the Glamorgan website http://www.glamorgancricket.com">www.glamorgancricket.com Wickets will be pitched at 10.45 am in this 50 overs per side match and spectators are urged to arrive at the ground early to avoid traffic congestion.
Facilities for spectators inside the ground
Cresselly Cricket Club has arranged seating for 3,000 spectators. Some 800 spectators will be able to sit in a small stand behind the stumps at the school end and 2,200 spectators will be able to use chairs, which will be located alongside the boundary inside the hedge next to the adjoining field. Spectators who want to watch the match from the 'Mound boundary' will be able to bring their own individual chairs. No car parking will be allowed inside the ground so that there will be a larger area than usual for spectators to sit. No smoking will be permitted in the spectator areas, but there will be a designated smoking area in the adjoining field on the right handside where spectators enter the ground. This field will also be used for the hot and cold food outlets including rolls, sandwiches and crisps, the hot and cold drinks marquee and ice cream sales. There will be ample supplies of soft drinks and crisps for the younger spectators.
What if it rains?
What happens if it rains? Every effort will be made to play the match on a reduced overs basis, even if it means a 10 overs per side thrash in the evening. So far as ticket refunds are concerned, spectators can obtain a full refund if less that 10 overs are played in total. If the number of overs bowled is more than 10 but less than 20, a 50% refund applies and there is no discount if there are more than 20 overs played in total, as the 10 overs per side contest constitutes a match.
What the Cresselly chairman says
In between working on the ground, Cresselly chairman Glyn Cole had time to say: "Everyone at the club appreciated the policy adopted by the Pembroke County Cricket Club in co-operating with the Cresselly club regarding the Bank Holiday match. Special thanks must be given to the county executive committee for ensuring that there is no home league fixture at Cresselly this Saturday and for bringing the start of the league season forward by one week. The early start avoided the need to play league cricket on Bank Holiday Monday thus enabling all cricketers to attend the Glamorgan match. Let us hope for stable weather so that the match can attract a bumper crowd".
Will records be smashed again?
All sorts of one day records were smashed when the two sides met in this competition then known as the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at the Oval on June 19, 2002. With a short boundary in front of the Peter May Stand near the famous gasometers and a long boundary on the opposite side in front of the Surridge Stand, over 800 runs were scored in the day. Surrey totalled 438 for 5 after a record 268 from Ali Brown and 97 from his opening partner Ian Ward in a first wicket stand of 286. Glamorgan kept going right down to the end of the match. Spectators thought that the run chase could not last, but it did - until the Welsh County were bowled out for 429 to lose by just nine runs. Pinch hitting opening batsman Robert Croft scored 119 and left-hander David Hemp 102 with Darren Thomas and Adrian Dale providing support with 71 not out and 49 respectively. Surrey captain Adam Hollioake bowled his team to victory with a spell of 5 for 77.