Welcome
As we drew up plans for a pan South Wales competition our aim was to provide a new level of cricket in our area with the focus on setting and maintaining high standards of play, facilities, conduct and discipline. I think we can safely say that our inaugural season achieved these aims. Each week of the season fixtures were keenly fought and predicting who would be winners was never easy, even when it was top versus bottom.
So a great start, but no room for complacency. We must continue to strive for the highest standards and consider our achievements to date as the beginning of a work in progress.
There are many to thank, not least the South Wales Cricket Association, Glamorgan & Monmouthshire Cricket League and Glamorgan County Cricket Club. Without the support of these three organisations we would never have got off the ground, we must ensure that the existing strong links are maintained and developed.
We are indebted to our sponsors, SWALEC and Glamorgan County Cricket Club. Their collective financial support, along with ECB funding, has made it possible for the management committee to pass real benefit to our member clubs. It is our understanding that both SWALEC and Glamorgan are pleased with our progress to date.
My fellow officers and the management committee also require praise for their collective hard work and consistently putting cricket at the forefront of their considerable efforts to make the SWALEC Premier Cricket League a competition we should all be proud of.
It would be inappropriate for me not to pay tribute to Matthew Maynard. Matthew was the catalyst for regenerating discussions about a pan South Wales League and his contribution to the work of the management committee has been invaluable. Without his initial intervention we may well have been unable to make the progress we have to date. It is a sadness that he is no longer able to contribute to the work of the management committee. However, we were delighted to learn that Matthew will play an active role within the SWALEC Premier Cricket League having joined Cardiff C.C. as player/coach.
It is a credit to all clubs that I have nothing to report in respect of on field discipline. We have set a high standard indeed and one we must seek to maintain.
We must of course congratulate our winners. Newport C.C., our 2nd eleven champions and setting a high standard, our first Champion Club, Sully Centurions C.C. Sully also won our Twenty20 competition, represented us in the Cockspur Cup and in addition, won the Welsh Cup. A remarkable achievement given the high standard of competition they faced.
Our presentation event as part of the Glamorgan players end of season lunch was a fantastic way to finish our first year and we look forward to a similar event at the end of 2011.
We should also congratulate Bridgend Town C.C. and Mumbles C.C. for winning their respective feeder league competitions. I know that both clubs are eagerly anticipating the challenge that the SWALEC Premier Cricket League offers.
So, on to 2011. Let’s hope the weather is as kind next summer. Good luck to all our clubs and players.
Paul Morgan
Chairman