History

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Towards the end of the century before last, around the time that Jesse James made his last bank raid and Wyatt Earp outshot the Clanton's at the OK Corral.....in 1881, that is ...... in the grounds of Mr. FJ Mitchell's fine house at Llanfrechfa Grange and under a warm July sky - Ponthir Cricket Club played its first match. Mr. Mitchell liked having cricket on his lawns and entertained the players with sumptuous repasts "which kindness was much appreciated". Although the local cricket scene was already thriving - Usk and Raglan had been playing since around 1815 - Ponthir quickly became highly respected.

In 1910 Ponthir were bowled out by Llantarnam for 17 but "they did not put out a representative team" and this became, therefore, the earliest recorded excuse for losing.

Five Club members died in the Great War and in May 1919 local cricket began the return to normalcy after four years virtual non-existence. Of all seven known games in 1919 Ponthir lost the lot. 1920 and 1921 were also dismal seasons with the final links with the strong pre-war sides being broken when Charlie Morgan and Walter Ford ended their careers. The team only averaged 41 runs per match in 1920 and 72 in 1921.

The pre-war club had its field on the western side of the railway line, opposite what is now the Hafod estate and bordered on its other side by the river. Theis field had 2 pavilions - one for cricket and one for tennis and bowls. The latter survived until the mid 1950's but the cricket pavilion was dismantled during WW2.

Much of the local cricket was now organised into leagues. Strangley there are no recorded results for the Club from the end of 1927 until the start of the 1933 season, when one game was recorded - a loss against King's Cricket Club of Newport. There were only 30 recorded games for the whole decade. Arthur Webber (the Club's current President) played his first game for the Club on June 26th 1937!

WW2 brought things to a halt and the long break lasted until 1951 when the kit kept carefully by Arthur Webber's father was brought out again. The pitch was on land belonging to Evan Price, Gilwern Farm: it was fenced off by barbed wire from the rest of a cow grazed field. A steam roller was employed to level the field and hand-mowers used to keep the grass shortish. The Baptist Chapel (three quarters of a mile away)
was used for changing and for teas! Games rarely began before 3pm and often attracted "crowds" of 40-50 people. Transport was by train, bus, bike or even motorcycle. The more attractive fixtures- Tintern or Talgarth - would see bus loads travelling from the village.

In 1952 a new ground was found in Llanfrechfa, behind Llanfrechfa House farm - the £44 it cost to buy the turf nearly bankrupt the Club! The loxcal firm, Willments, provided the Club with its first post-war pavilion (beautifully painted in green and cream) which lasted until 1966. For the years 1951 - 1955 the Ponthir batting was a bit patchy - only averaging 60 runs per innings. By now though the Club had an effective pair of opening bowlers - John Pardoe and Arthur Webber. Arthur remembers taking 100 wickets in 1951 as well as in 1958. They were supported by Graham Davies - a talented slow bowler who took a hat trick against Llantarnam in May 1955 while taking 6-16. In 1962 against Raglan, Arthur Webber scored 86 not out hitting 7 sixes and 3 fours and sharing a record third wicket stand with Graham Davies of 113. Dave Challenger (Captain) declared with the Club's first century perhaps in the making - Arthur Webber bravely supported the decision!.