PHOTO:
Scott Arthur cracked a boundary-laden 132 for triumphant Cresselly 2nds
Cam slammed by Cresselly 2nds
Camrose (109 all out) lost to Cresselly 2nds (274 for 2) by 165 runs
Umpires: Rob Cousins & Glyn Pawlett
Scorer: Des Brace (Cresselly)
Recently-promoted Camrose discovered how hard cricket can be a division higher as they entertained a Cresselly seconds team in good form and were slammed by 163 runs, and find themselves firmly rooted at the foot of the table.
Cresselly were on top from the outset as openers Rhydian Rees and Scott Arthur plundered runs before Rees was dismissed for a typically robust 58.
But their hopes of a quick breakthrough were ruined when Alex Bayley joined Arthur at No 4 and struck a speedy 51 – and Arthur was at his most powerful with a boundary-laden 132 that launched his side to their mammoth score of 274 for 2.
Things went from bad to worse after tea, however, since only Camrose’s most consistent batsmen, Jon Venables (37) and Dan Wilks (26) ever stayed long as newcomer Matthew Webb (2 for 28) and Cresselly skipper Richard Harries (2 for 29) made early inroads before Matthew Lewis’s unique slow stuff so bamboozled the Camrose players that he returned fine figures of 6 for 14.
Narberth power their way to victory
Narberth (118 for 1) beat Saundersfoot (116 all out) by 9 wickets
Umpires: Arthur Brady & Tony Waldeis
Scorers: Emma Richards & Adge John
Only James Caine (50) ever looked comfortable for the Seasiders as he rapped five fours and two sixes before he was well caught by Ritchie Adams off Jordan Howell, only E. Merriman (17) managing double figures alongside him against Howell (3 for 18), Lewis Hough (1 for 17), Karmal Sharma (1 for 20) and Ben Hughes (3 for 25).
Howell then showed what a terrific all-rounder he has become by stroking nine boundaries in his 58 before he was caught by Morgan off Jack Franklyn but Narberth weren’t deterred as Adams (26 not out) and Aaron Keane (16 not out) steered them home to their sixth success of the season – and an even wider gap on the chasing teams!
Saundersfoot's Morgan Slate is clean bowled by Narberth seamer Ben Quartermaine
Picture by Susan McKehon
Town reserves move into top three
Haverfordwest 2nds (140 for 2) beat Burton (136 all out) by 8 wickets
Umpires: Steve Blowes & John Austin
Scorers: Natalie Thomas (Haverfordwest)
Toby Hayman maintained his recent run of good form with the bat for Burton, the talented teenager reaching 48 as James Davies (16) and Johnny Scale (a late 12 not out) were the other main contributors for Burton against Simon Williams (5 for 31), Nigel Morgan (3 for 29) and Avron Roulstone (1 for 21), who bowled well for The Town Reserves.
Then Twigg used his wealth of experience to score eight fours in his undefeated 61 alongside talented young batsman Mathias (six boundaries in his 65) and The Town 2nds won with wickets and overs to spare.
Nitin Mathias - 65 runs for Haverfordwest 2nds in win over Burton
Unbroken stand helps Borderers bounce back
Pembroke (164 for 7) lost to Whitland 2nds (168 for 6) by 4 wickets
Umpires: Mervyn John & Robert Ridge
Scorers: Ann-Marie Jenkins (Whitland)
An unbroken partnership of 132 by experienced batsmen Leighton O’Connor and Paul Oeppen saw Whitland 2nds to what at one time seemed a very unlikely victory at Treleet as they stood at 36 for 6 in pursuit of the homesters’ reasonable tally of 164 for 7.
The father and son duo of Spencer and Jack Harries contributed to Pembroke’s tally with respective scores of 35 and 19 alongside skipper Paul ‘Chalkie’ White (42) and their ‘Mr Reliable’ Barry Evans (34).
For Whitland, Geraint Phillips (3 for 27), Leighton O’Connor (2 for 26) and Paul Webb (1 for 28) were the wicket takers.
But then Jonathan Rogers (3 for 22), Jack Harries (2 for 40) and Sam Davies (1 for 16) caused early chaos until O’Connor and Oeppen joined forces and gradually built to a convincing win in 40.5 overs that allowed them to leap-frog the opposition and out of the bottom two in the section table.
Poole powers Kilgetty to victory
Kilgetty (213 for 7) beat Hook (212 for 9) by 3 wickets
Umpires: Denis Chiffi & Allan Hansen
Scorers: Hazel Poole (Kilgetty)
For many years Ian Poole was known as the best wicket-keeper in the county but he certainly showed his all-round skills as he led his young Kilgetty side to victory against Hook in a high-scoring tussle at Kingsmoor.
He claimed 6 for 69 in an impressive spell of bowling as Hook built up a challenging 212 for 9, thanks to their talented young players Tom Blaxland (71) and Jake Wicks (69) – and then hit 62 not out in guiding Kilgetty into second place in the table.
Also impressive again for Kilgetty was Jack Parkinson, who showed why he has been picked for Wales at under 17 level with an excellent 65 so that although Brennan Martin (3 for 46) bowled well for Hook there was no denying Poole and Co a deserved win.