Danny skipper's Town to Welsh indoor title

DANNY Potter is a well-known batsman with Haverfordwest Cricket Club who has captained The Town's indoor cricket team to the Welsh title, been in charge of the first team for the past three seasons and is already looking forward to a fourth campaign at the helm in 2016.

During that time Danny has led his players to winning the Division One title last season and in the previous year was thrilled to hold the Harrison-Allen Bowl aloft as Haverfordwest beat Cresselly.

But Danny was denied a third trophy success in the Duggie Morris Cup Final at Burton, a day he still lists as his biggest disappointment in charge of the team, but more of those moments later.

In the Welsh Finals, played at The Meads Leisure Centre in Milford Haven, Danny and Co beat a strong Ynysygerwyn side in the semi-final and then overcame the challenge of a very experienced Newport team in the final.

“I had a team which fielded well, bowled good lines – and in Nigel Delaney, Huw Scriven and Simon Holliday who came to the fore yet again. Ben Field and AJ Revu also gave total commitment – and our reward was a home match in the regional finals against the champions from Worcestershire.”

At one stage Danny had the reputation of being something of a firebrand who was ever-ready to 'sledge' opponents from his fielding position in the slip and gully areas, or hold discussions with umpires about decisions he felt were flawed.

"But that has changed now," Danny told us, "but not only because of being captain but I think I have mellowed with the responsibilities of getting married to Pamela and having our daughters; Maddie and Mya, plus new son Fletcher."

“I do have a competitive edge when I am playing,” says Danny, “but I believe that I am a nice person off the field and I enjoy the company of opposing teams as much as anyone.”

In 2007 Danny scored 920 runs as proof of his growing consistency but was pipped to being top of the averages on the last day of the season by Simon Cole - and with Dai Davies he holds the Haverfordwest best-stand record when they opened the batting against Lamphey and he scored 102 not out in a partnership of 230-plus.

Danny also had 130 against Pembroke Dock whilst batting for the club’s second team and a couple of other centuries, as well as a string of good knocks in the 80s and 90s.

But he’s also experienced the lows of batting and can laugh at himself as he tells the story of a county appearance:

“We played against the South Wales League and I was chosen to bat No 3 behind Will Beresford (Llangwm) and Phil Williams (Cresselly), who proceeded to put on 160 runs as I sat with the pads on for 35 overs. I walked out to the wicket, took guard and faced the first ball – and was soon walking back to the pavilion as I was out without scoring a single run, caught off a really slow ball!”

Danny has enjoyed representing Pembrokeshire and was part of the team which took on the South Wales League at Imble Lane, Pembroke Dock, and played his part with 40-odd runs as they successfully chased their opponents’ score of over 280!

Talk to Danny about taking over the reins at The Racecourse and he would admit that it was a daunting prospect.

"I have only ever played for Haverfordwest and when I took over from Simon Holliday it was strange to have to give team talks to players I had respected for years and now I was suddenly telling them what I thought we needed to do.

"But I soon found that I had great support, especially from Ben Field, who has been a brilliant vice-captain who could not have been a bigger help. In fact, leading the team on the field has been the easiest part in a way, because it is the huge number of phone calls and lots of meetings that are far harder!

"The changing room is a very lively place because the team is packed with characters like Adam James, Dai Davies, Simon Holliday, AJ Revu, Adam Raymond and Ben so that every moment is interesting, to say the least!

Ask Danny about best moments and he would be bound to say that winning the championship last season rates highly because of the pressure of maintaining the team's form throughout 18 matches is no mean feat.

"But winning the Harrison-Allen Bowl as captain was something I dreamed about as a young kid being coached in the nets and when we beat Cresselly in 2014 it was doubly pleasing because I scored 78 from only 48 balls in one innings and added another 24 runs in the other.

“It was a great match played in a good spirit and when I received the Bowl from Hugh Harrison-Allen it was certainly a memorable moment!”

Equally as memorable, but for different reasons, was the Duggie Morris final against old rivals Neyland when the opposition needed six runs from the final ball, which Patrick Bellerby duly dispatched over long on to deny The Town a win.

“I had played in quite a few winning Duggie Morris Finals but this defeat had me thinking for a long time what I should have done differently to win the silverware - but I am over it now!"

He learned his batting trade when he first played senior cricket at 13 and had no shortage of advice from old pros like Stuart Williams, Tacky Marchant and Micky Dewstowe and played in three Alec Colley Cup Final wins when he was younger and playing in the second team with them.

Then it was on to first team action and a first season where he batted in every position up to No 9 before staking a claim for the opening bat position when Johnny Griffiths got injured. He’s been there ever since and one year was vice-captain to Nick Dyer, the former Scottish international who had played in the World Cup.

“I learned a great deal from Nick and was delighted when we won the league and I picked up one of five winners’ medals there.

There’s one thing for sure when the 2016 season begins in earnest – and that is the fact that Danny Potter and Co will be aiming to pocket more silverware for Haverfordwest, with Danny leading the way in the field, where he is sure to make a bit of noise, and aiming to score lots of runs by leading from the forefront, as he has always tried to do!