From the captain's contribution, to Morton's second spell, to Kidney's Bowl-winning boundary, Fraser Watson looks back at the factors that defined the final....
Worth the wait
A Harrison-Allen Bowl final delay is never ideal, and the inclement weather over the weekend even left the prospect of a Monday clash in serious doubt. But through the usual tireless work of Richard Arthur and co, excess surface water was removed and things got going with a moderate crowd initially - with business picking up as the day wore on.Sure enough, the extra 48-hour wait was worthwhile. It proved one of the most intriguing finals in recent memory, with neither side truly ever taking command and the outcome in the balance until the moment Joe Kidney found the fence with two balls to spare.
It was also an afternoon void of nonsense or controversy. As finales go to a cricket season, this was a fitting one.
Troy takes centre stage
At 66-4 in the run chase and the required rate escalating, glory looked to be slipping away from Lawrenny. And then their captain delivered.Troy Purselowe may have had some fortune during his match-winning knock, but he still played the kind of Bowl final innings that forever gets etched in history. An unbeaten 61 in 41 balls - 44 of which came in boundaries - his display was one of power hitting and precision amidst the most high-pressure situation you can have in Pembrokeshire cricket.
'Leading by example' is an obvious line to use, but when his side needed him most, Purslowe stood up to be counted. And whatever happens in the remainder of his cricket career, Monday's knock is already cemented as a memorable match-winning display.
Trouble in the deep
It is simple to watch a Bowl final run chase from the comfort of the boundary and digest the intensity, pressure, and crowd noise the players have to deal with. What isn't so easy, is actually playing and performing in it.For the majority of the afternoon, Whitland appeared the more mobile side - superior to Lawrenny both with their fielding and running between the wickets. But in the closing overs of the final innings, big moments came and went in the field with both Purslowe and Morton having multiple let-offs in a frenzied finale.
The catches that went down by the boundary were difficult and to pinpoint any of the missed chances or individuals would be harsh. But the brutal reality is Purslowe in particular survived four catching chances and had one of them been taken - we may well be reflecting on a different outcome.
'Rhino' charges back
Ryan Morton is a match-winner. But his first innings figures of 1-52 in five overs reflected an erratic bowling performance where he threw down no-balls and was taken to the cleaners by Jones in his final over.But if 'Rhino' was wayward first up, then he came back in Whitland's second innings a man possessed. His first two overs yielded two wickets and 12 dot balls - the only runs coming from five leg side wides. He would go on to finish with 2-25 from a superb six over stint.
His display set the tone and sent a message that Lawrenny, despite being behind the eight-ball, meant business after tea. Whatever it was that fired Morton up during the interval certainly did the trick.
Joe jumps up the order
Joe Kidney has long proven his ability to build an innings at the top level of local cricket. Therefore, to see him as low as No.8 in the batting order during Lawrenny's first innings seemed to signify a bit of a misuse.Elevated two places in the run chase, Kidney's experience came to the fore as he played the perfect foil to Purslowe’s assault, making 36 not out and striking the winning boundary. It was an innings void of fireworks, but it was exactly what his side needed.
Noticeably, his vocal influence in the field was also apparent, constantly positive and encouraging team-mates almost ball-by-ball.
There was time when Kidney's relationship with the final was defined by heartache - involved as a player and captain as Lawrenny lost three successive finals. But his winning final contributions in 2024 and now 2026 have emphatically changed that narrative, and it's no less than a club stalwart like him deserves.
Whitland can bounce back
When the dust settles on the summer, Gethin Scourfield and his side will reflect with disappointment on a Bowl final that got away from them and a Division One season where they were relegated with room to spare. And when it comes to the latter, those who watched on Monday will wonder how they finished 55 points adrift of safety.Despite only two places separating the sides in the league table, the overriding perception was that Whitland arrived at Cresselly as underdogs. But through the explosive batting of Geraint Jones, and the canny death bowling of Matthew Davies and Scott Newton, they forged a fully deserved first innings lead and did not look like a side bereft of form or confidence.
In the end, it wasn't to be for them and the defeat, as it does for any side in a Bowl final, will sting for a long time. But if nothing else, on Monday they proved they have the personnel and quality to still be a Division One team and promotion back to the top flight in 2027 should already be the goal.
