Neyland overwhelm struggling Tish

St Ishmaels (54 all out) lost to Neyland (55 for 0) by 10 wickets

Umpires: Dave Brandon and Richard Scriven
Scorers: John Laugharne and Wendy Bradshaw
Venue: The Racecourse, Haverfordwest

There was an air of anti-climax at The Racecourse as the eagerly-awaited semi-final clash between Neyland and St Ishmaels turned into something of a damp squib both literally and metaphorically as Tish found it immensely trying on a very wet pitch at The Racecourse before they were shout out for only 54 runs and Sean Hannon’s team strolled to a ten-wicket win in fewer than eight overs.

Skipper Hannon started off his team’s good afternoon’s work as he won the toss and invited Phil Cockburn’s less experienced side to bat first – and they had an early escape when Ross Hardy dropped Howells off Nathan Banner’s pace stuff from only the third ball of the day. Danny Howells (two fours in his 18) managed double figures as wickets tumbled at the other end and Patrick Hannon wrought havoc with his medium pacers after ‘Mr Reliable’ Peter Bradshaw was neatly stumped by the other Hannon twin in his first over.

Tish collapse as Neyland’s bowling experience pays off

That wicket fell at 16 and Tish limped from 24 for 1 to 33 for 5 in short time as Hannon returned figures of 4 for 13 in his six overs, having Brennan Devonald beautifully caught by Gregg Miller before clean bowling Cockburn and Andrew Pawlett, all four very potent performers on another day for Tish.

Howells was clean bowled by Andrew Miller’s canny slow stuff with his head in the air before persistent rain forced players off the pitch but when they returned  it was almost a procession as Andrew Miller matched Hannon’s bowling figures from his allotted six overs.

All the other Tish batsmen were clean bowled before Sean Hannon claimed a second stumping late on as Miller (4 for 13) and Ross Hardy (2 for 7) applied the coup de grace to St Ishmaels’ disappointing display as they were shot out with 4.3 overs unused.

Neyland show how to bat in the conditions

In sharp contrast, Neyland’s in-form opening pair of Ashley Sutton and Nick Koomen showed how to bat in the wet conditions, taking well-judged singles but also punishing anything short or wide.

Sutton in particular looked sharp as he beautifully rasped six boundaries and a three in his speedy 32 not out – quality stuff.

Koomen was content to play the minor role until they were close to victory but then showed why he is also one of the better batsmen in the county as he finished the game in style with a four and a huge straight six into the car park from successive deliveries to finish the innings in only 7.5 overs.

Scorecard:

St Ishmaels Batting:
Dan Howells b Andrew Miller 18
Peter Bradshaw st Sean Hannon b Patrick Hannon 3
Brennan Devonald ct Gregg Miller b Patrick Hannon 2
Phil Cockburn b Patrick Hannon 1
Jonny Pawlett b Andrew Miller 1
Jack Nicholas b Ross Hardy 7
Andrew Pawlett b Patrick Hannon 9
Sean Williams b Andrew Miller 0
Louis Rhead not out 6
Harry Nicholas st Sean Hannon b Andrew Miller 1
Jordan Milich b Ross Hardy 1
Extras 5
Total (all out) in 17.3 overs

Neyland Bowling:
Nathan Banner 3-0-20-0; Patrick Hannon 6-0-13-4; Andrew Miller 6-0-13-4; Ross Hardy 2.3-0-7-2

Neyland Batting:
Nick Koomen not out 21
Ashley Sutton not out 32
Extras 2
Total 55 (0 wickets) in 7.5 overs

St Ishmaels Bowling:
Brennan Devonald 2-0-12-0; Andrew Pawlett 2-0-13-0; Louis Rhead 2-0-18-0; Jordan Milich 1.5-0-12-0

Town cruise home by 8 wickets

Burton (119 for 9) lost to Haverfordwest (120 for 2) by 8 wickets

Umpires: Allan Hansen and Jonathan Willington
Scorers: Cerys Griffiths and Jayne Cole
Venue: Imble Lane, Pembroke Dock

The action defied the weather, but Burton couldn’t defy the odds as Haverfordwest made it through to a second straight Harrison-Allen Bowl final with a comprehensive win at Imble Lane.

After being put into bat, the Division Two side looked well set on 61-0 but The Town soon took hold of things to restrict them to 119-9 in 22 overs, before 62 not out (in 37 balls)  from Adam James made sure of victory with eight wickets, and ample time, to spare.

Dai Davies and co now have the chance to become the first side to retain The Bowl since Cresselly did so in 2006, and an enticing final lies in store on August 29th when they will meet rivals Neyland.

Pitching in at the Dock

After a morning plagued by persistent rain throughout the county, the fact the game got underway on time was down to a remarkable effort from the ground staff at Imble Lane. With the pitch well covered and club members working tirelessly to remove the water from the outfield, umpires Jonathan Willington and Allan Hansen were decisive and positive in their decision to get things going.

Still, it was undoubtedly a day to field first, and after winning the toss Davies opted to do just that.
 

Great start by Burton openers

Burton openers Toby Hayman and Jonathan Venables carried the fight to The Town though. With the surface still playing well despite the conditions, it was Venables who signalled early intent by cracking James back over his head for a first-over boundary before also cutting Jonny White to the fence.

He did survive a run out scare when Lee Summons narrowly failed with an attempt at a direct hit and after Hayman also got going with a couple of boundaries, Venables survived again after Jack Scriven missed a stumping chance off Clive Tucker.

The pair took Burton to 51-0 in eight overs and then Simon Holliday, back playing his first game of the season, was given a welcome when his first-ball full toss was hammered over the rope by Hayman.
But it was the all-rounder, who along with Tucker, began to stifle matters and the latter enticed Venables into a lofted drive that was well caught by Davies – the opener going for 29 (five fours).

The Town turn the tide

Moments later Holliday trapped No 3 James Davies LBW as he attempted a slog sweep and when Toby Hayman was caught on the boundary by Jake Merry for 34 (two fours and a six), giving Tucker another wicket, Burton had gone from 60-0 to 71-3.

From there they never really recovered, and although Luke Hayman announced his arrival by cracking Tucker for six he then also fell to Holliday, after being spectacularly caught by a diving Summons at deep point.

James returned to clean bowl Morgan Scale and Jack Davies was run out cheaply - before another diving catch in the deep, this time from Merry of White’s bowling, removed Dan Ridge.

Will Ridge hit Summons for a maximum as he and Matthew Webb tried to scramble late runs - but with the score at 116-7 heading into the final over, James skittled Ridge for 8 and then did the same to Iestyn Evans to take figures of 3-22, alongside Tucker’s 2-25, Holliday’s 2-34, and White’s 1-27.

James and Potter punish early indiscipline

It was the kind of weather which could make a 120 chase a tricky one, but although clearly fired up the Burton bowlers needed early inroads and instead, offered up too many gifts.

The first over from James Davies went for 10, including one ball which went for five wides – and Webb also strayed down leg before James got going by pulling him for four and at 18-0 after two overs, The Town were away.

Potter’s first boundary came in the fourth over when he drove a Webb full toss through cover, but it was the fifth over which did the damage.

James flicked another Davies delivery away for four and followed it up with a six over cow corner, and another boundary, five wides, and further runs followed as the over went for 24 – taking the score to 52-0.

Luke Hayman gave his side hope in the seventh over though by clean bowling Potter for 17 (two fours), just one ball after he’d survived being put down by Dan Ridge at square leg.

James hammers Haverfordwest home

That brought in Holliday and at 60-1, he and James then put on 54 to effectively end matters.

The ‘Doc’ stroked three fours in his 22 to shake off any ring-rust before with six needed for victory, he holed out to Will Ridge off Dan Llewellyn’s first ball.

By that point though, James had passed 50 with four more sixes, including two in an over off Jack Davies and one which cracked a tile on a roof of a house behind Imble Lane.

And fittingly, with skipper Davies not needing to face a ball at the other end, he finished the job with his sixth maximum off Llewellyn to knock off the target in just 12.3 overs.

It meant the end of a good cup run for Burton, who were left to rue not building on a positive start, but for Haverfordwest a fourth Bowl final in seven seasons.

Scorecard:

Burton Batting:
Toby Hayman ct Jake Merry b Clive Tucker 34
John Venables ct Dai Davies b Clive Tucker 29
James Davies lbw b Simon Holliday 3
Morgan Scale b Adam James 9
Luke Hayman ct Lee Summons b Simon Holliday 9
Dan Ridge ct Jake Merry b Jonny White 9
Jack Davies run out 4
Matthew Webb not out 7
Will Ridge b Adam James 8
Iestyn Evans b Adam James 1
Extras: 7
Total (9 wickets) 22 overs

Haverfordwest Bowling: Adam James 6-0-22-3; Jonny White 3-0-27-1; Clive Tucker 6-0-25-2; Simon Holliday 6-0-34-2; Lee Summons 1-0-10-0.

Haverfordwest Batting:
Adam James not out 62
Danny Potter b Luke Hayman 17
Simon Holliday ct Will Ridge b Dan Llewellyn 22
Dai Davies not out 0
Extras: 19
Total (2 wickets) 120

Burton Bowling: James Davies 3-0-38-0; Matthew Webb 3-0-18-0; Luke Hayman 3-1-24-1; Morgan Scale 2-0-16-0; Jack Davies 1-0-14-0; Dan Llewellyn 0.3-0-6-1.