DR Morris Cup Final:
Neyland (124 for 9 & 164 for 7) beat Kilgetty (135 for 9 & 86 all out) by 68 runs
Venue: Oatfield Park, Burton
Umpires: Simon Richards & Dave Bonner
Scorers: John Laugharne & Hazel Poole
Man of the Match: Nick Koomen (Neyland)
Man of the Match Adjudicators: BE and WMB Griffiths (Burton)
The DR Morris Cup Final saw Neyland win the superb trophy for the fifth time in six seasons and left a brave Kilgetty outfit still seeking this particular silverware after 21 years of trying.But although the final margin of victory was comfortable for Sean Hannon's boys they were trailing by 11 runs after the first innings as Kilgetty chased after Neyland's tally of 124 for 9 and stood at 73 for 0 in only seven pulsating overs.
Neyland experience pays off
But Neyland called upon their vast reserves of experience to apply the brakes so that only 16 runs came from the next seven overs and they ended up on 135 for 9 as only Liam Cullen managed double figures after Kurtis Marsh and skipper Ross Hardy had continued on their form of the previous day, when both had scored impressive centuries.
But after tea it was Neyland who showed their batting strength in depth, despite the absence through injury of key all-rounder Nathan Banner, with Paul Murray (six fours and three sixes) leading them to 164 for 7 to set Kilgetty a target of 154 to take the silverware.Kilgetty needed more fireworks from their opening pair but Kurtis Marsh departed for a duck and from then on it was fairly one-way traffic despite 31 from Toby Poole and 29 from Dafydd Bowen, giving Neyland victory by 68 runs.
SCORECARDS:
FIRST INNINGS:
Neyland Batting:
After being invited to bat first Neyland started well with 18 off the first two overs but then Ashley Sutton was caught on the long-on boundary by Kurtis Marsh after blitzing a six and four but going for another big hit.
At the other end Marsh featured with his spin bowling as he trapped Paul Murray (13) and Andrew Miller (8) and his carefully-set field kept a tight rein on runs and forced Neyland's key run-getters to take chances as they stood at 43 for 3.Kurtis Marsh finished his four-over stint with 2 for 10 as tribute to his tactical approach and also bowling well was Jack Parkinson, with 3 for 25 as he followed his early wicket with the key scalps of Patrick Bellerby (17) and Scott James (6) from excellent respective catches by Toby Poole and Kurtis Marsh.
Nick Koomen was kept quiet to such good effect that he managed 12, all singles, before he fell to Toby Poole from a good boundary catch by Richard Cope, who also bowled well but was then removed after 2.1 overs after receiving his second warning from umpire Dave Bonner for fast high full tosses; his bowling place being taken by Kyle Marsh.
Henry Durrant looked dangerous with a four and big six in his 24 and skipper Sean Hannon chipped in with 13 but Neyland were unable to build big partnerships - and although Kyle Marsh had a bit of late stick he grabbed 3 for 23 in less than two overs, including Hannon and George Evans from successive balls.Geraint Rees came in at No 11 for Neyland and hit ten runs out of 16 in the final over with Patrick Hannon and although Neyland might not have been happy with their final total it was certainly more than they looked like getting against a Kilgetty side who fielded well and, one missed chance apart, really took their catches well!
Neyland
Paul Murray lbw b Kurtis Marsh 13
Ashley Sutton ct Kurtis Marsh b Jack Parkinson 10
Andrew Miller b Kurtis Marsh 8
Nick Koomen ct Richard Cope b Toby Poole 12
Patrick Bellerby ct Toby Poole b Jack Parkinson 17
Scott Jones ct Kurtis Marsh b Jack Parkinson 6
Henry Durrant b Kurtis Marsh 24
Sean Hannon ct Jack Parkinson b Kyle Marsh 13
George Evans ct Tom Lewis b Richard Cope 4
Patrick Hannon not out 2
Geraint Rees not out 10
Extras: 9
Total (9 wickets) 124
Kilgetty Bowling:
Ross Hardy 4-0-27-0; Jack Parkinson 4-0-25-3; Kurtis Marsh 4-0-10-2; Richard Cope 2.1-0- 9-0; Toby Poole 4-0-28-1; Kyle Marsh 1.5-0-23-3
Kilgetty Batting:
Kilgetty went on the attack from the outset against Neyland's experienced bowling attack and after a steady start, where eight runs came from the first two overs, Kurtis Marsh and Ross Hardy exploded into a flurry of big hitting that saw them add 65 runs in the next five overs.
At 73 for 0 a huge tea-time lead might have seemed a real possibility but Neyland called on their experience to apply a tourniquet to the run rate as Hardy was well caught by Sean Hannon, standing up to Nick Koomen's bowling, for a splendid 39 that included seven fours and a six.
Toby Poole was caught off a top edge by sub Steve Murray off Andrew Miller for a single and the loss of Kurtis Marsh, adjudged lbw to Nick Koomen, for an excellent 37 that included five fours and a six, saw Neyland back in action.
Liam Cullen slammed two sixes after his side had managed only 16 runs in seven overs but no-one else managed double figures against Patrick Hannon (2 for 35), Durrant (1 for 42), Geraint Rees (2 for 23), and especially Nick Koomen (2 for 17) and Andrew Miller (2 for 11), with George Evans pouching three catches in great support of the bowlers.
So Kilgetty went in to team with an 11-run lead but it might have been so many more!
Kilgetty
Kurtis Marsh lbw b Nick Koomen 37
Ross Hardy ct Sean Hannon b Nick Koomen 39
Toby Poole ct sub b Andrew Miller 1
Liam Cullen ct George Evans b Henry Durrant 18
Richard Cope b Andrew Miller 0
Dafydd Bevan ct George Evans b Geraint Rees 8
Kyle Marsh b Patrick Hannon 6
Tom Lewis not out 7
Josh Gorman b Geraint Rees 6
Jack Parkinson ct George Evans b Patrick Hannon 2
Extras 11
Total (9 wickets) 135 for 9
Neyland Bowling:
Patrick Hannon 4-0-35-2; Henry Durrant 4-0-42-1; Geraint Rees 4-0-23-2; Nick Koomen 4-0-17-2; Andrew Miller 4-0-11-2
SECOND INNINGS:
Neyland Batting:
Neyland started their second innings with a deficit of 11 runs but after losing Patrick Bellerby, clearly unwell for 11 and caught by Ian Poole, who then pulled off a top-notch stumping of Ashley Sutton for a single down the leg side off Richard Cope.
Paul Murray had already looked in good form for his 56 (six fours and three sixes) and was joined in a stand of 55 by Nick Koomen (47, including five fours and a six) to respective bowlers Kyle Marsh and Toby Poole.
Neyland reached three figures in the 13th over as Henry Durrant also chipped in with 17 before he was run out seeking an improbable second run and Neyland lost wickets searching for vital late runs as Ross Hardy (2 for 19) and Kyle Marsh (1 for 25) were the pick of the Kilgetty bowlers as Neyland reached 164 for 7, inviting Kilgetty to take on the challenge of 154 runs for victory.
Neyland
Paul Murray ct Josh Gorman b Kyle Marsh 56
Patrick Bellerby ct I Poole b Jack Parkinson 11
Ashley Sutton st Ian Poole b Richard Cope 1
Nick Koomen b Toby Poole 47
Henry Durrant run out 17
Scott Jones b Ross Hardy 9
Sean Hannon ct Jack Parkinson b Ross Hardy 4
Andrew Miller not out 2
George Evans not out 4
Extras 13
Total (for 6 wickets) 164
Kilgetty Bowling:
Ross Hardy 4-0-19-2; Jack Parkinson 4-0-36-1; Kurtis marsh 4-0-42-1; Richard Cope 2-0-18-1: Kyle Marsh 3-0-21-1; Toby Poole 3-0-25-1
Kilgetty Batting:
After the loss of Kurtis Marsh in Patrick Hannon’s first over, one of two good catches in the innings by sub Steve Murray, Kilgetty were desperately in need of a big innings from skipper Hardy but although he crashed two boundaries he was bowled by Andrew Miller for 15, quickly followed by Liam Cullen as he became the first of Sean Hannon’s six victims behind the stumps, over-balancing as he tried to get after Miller’s bowling.
Toby Poole 31, (including two sixes and a four) was joined by Daf Bevan (two sixes in his 21) but both were stumped by Hannon off Miller and Geraint Rees respectively.
From then on Kilgetty’s hopes drifted as their running between the wickets wasn’t good and Sean Hannon caught Kyle Marsh and then stumped Richard Cope Tom Lewis and Josh Gorman – and veteran keeper Ian Poole couldn’t bat because of a calf injury and so Kilgetty’s brave battle was over. Appropriately, Sean Hannon received the silverware from sponsor Graham Morris on behalf of the family – and Koomen received the man of the match award which was sponsored by Sheila and John Hayman.
Kilgetty
Kurtis Marsh ct sub b Patrick Hannon 0
Ross Hardy b Andrew Miller 15
Toby Poole st Sean Hannon b Andrew Miller 31
Liam Cullen st Sean Hannon b Andrew Miller 1
Dafydd Bevan st Sean Hannon 29
Kyle Marsh ct sub b Henry Durrant 1
Richard Cope st Sean Hannon b Henry Durrant 0
Tom Lewis ct Sean Hannon b Geraint Rees 0
Josh Gorman st Sean Hannon b Geraint Rees 4
Jack Parkinson not out 2
Ian Poole DNB (injured)
Extras 3
Total (all out) 86
Neyland Bowling:
Patrick Hannon 4-0-23-1; Nick Koomen 4-0-11-0; Andrew Miller 4-0-20-3; Geraint Rees 4-1-13-2; Henry Durrant (3-0-16-3
County Club chairman Paul Webb did his usual good job of the presentations as he thanked everyone involved, including Brian Griffiths for his magnificent work on the Burton ground at Oatfield Park.