Cricket silence tribute to umpire

Cricket clubs in south Wales marked the start of their games on Saturday with a minute's silence for an umpire who died after being hit by a ball.

Alcwyn Jenkins, 72, from Skewen, near Neath, was umpiring at St Helen's ground in Swansea last weekend when he was hit on the head.

The widower died as he was being airlifted to Morriston Hospital, Swansea.

Mr Jenkins's funeral is to take place at Margam next Thursday.

The South Wales Cricket Association urged all 46 first and second XI teams to take part in the tribute to Mr Jenkins.

He was umpiring a league game between Swansea and Llangennech last Saturday when he was struck on the head by a ball thrown by a fielder.

'Highly-respected'

Players and the emergency services rushed to help, but he died on the way to hospital.

South Wales Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Jenkins who had recently been part of a South Wales Cricket Association tour of the West Indies, and was an umpire for a quarter of a century.

The England and Wales Cricket Board Association of Cricket Officials (ECB ACO) said it was shocked to hear of the death of Mr Jenkins.

Chairman Roger Knight said: "Alcwyn Jenkins was a highly-respected umpire in the south Wales cricket community for the last 25 years and a valued member of the ECB ACO."

Mr Morgan's funeral at Margam Crematorium at 1330 BST on Thursday will be followed by a function at the Towers Hotel in Jersey Marine.

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