Wales cricket team should play one-day games, Carwyn Jones says

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Wales v England 2004Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

One-day matches between Wales and England were staged from 2002 to 2004

Wales should have an international one-day cricket team, the first minister has said.

Carwyn Jones said it was "odd" Ireland and Scotland had teams while Wales did not.

Conservative AM Mohammad Asghar had asked Mr Jones if he agreed with him that "the time has come" for Wales to have its own cricket team.

Mr Jones told AMs he supported the idea, provided there was no "financial hit" on Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

"This is an issue I've certainly supported in the past," he told the Senedd during First Minister's Questions on Tuesday.

"Certainly a one day team ... not a Test team, I don't think we are playing close to that level.

"But it is odd that we see Ireland and Scotland playing in international tournaments and not Wales.

"We did have a one-day team at one point for a few years.

"I know there are concerns in Glamorgan because of the financial advantage they get being part of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"But from my perspective I'd very much like to see us represented internationally at cricket as long as, of course, there's no financial hit on Glamorgan and their ability to play at the highest level."

In 2013 an assembly committee called for "an intelligent discussion on the feasibility" of establishing such a team.

Glamorgan has previously opposed the establishment of a Wales team, saying it would mean England internationals would no longer be played in Cardiff and would have "serious financial repercussions on the club."

From 2002 to 2004, a Wales team played against England in a one-day challenge match each June, scoring a shock eight-wicket victory in 2002, external.

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