Neyland retain the league crown
Neyland (140 for 9) beat Lawrenny (118 all out) by 22 runs
Umpires: Steve Blowes & Dave Brandon
Scorers: Martin Jones/John Laugharne & Malcolm Thomas
Neyland retained the section silverware they won before the pandemic broke out and Lawrenny were second again – but my word the final gap between the two best teams in the county was narrowed from 68 to 3 points – and Neyland squeezed home only after Sean Hannon’s boys had pulled themselves away from the brink of defeat here when their innings stood precariously on 78 for 7.Neyland weren’t allowed to settle after being asked to bat first by Lawrenny skipper Joe Kidney in this title-deciding clash at The Athletic Ground as several batsmen made starts but useful bowling from Kurtis Marsh (3 for 14 in nine overs). Jamie Lewis (1 for 40), Rob Williams (2 for 27), Harry Thomas (1 for 27) and Ryan Morton (1 for 18).
Match-winning partnership
At 70 for 6 Neyland looked in danger of not using their full quota of overs as Patrick Bellerby (19), Scott Jones (18) and Ross Hardy (14) made cameos before skipper Sean Hannon and George Evans dug in and played sensibly to keep the scoreboard ticking along.
Hannon reached 17 before he smashed a ball to cow corner which was superbly caught by Thomas Cole, which typified Lawrenny’s fielding in general and their catching in particular.
Evans, who showed good restraint in waiting for the bad ball and punishing anything loose by despatching it to the boundary, reached 34 before he was run out from the last ball of Neyland’s 45 overs and at 140 for 9 at least gave his strong bowling attack something to try and defend.
Veteran spinner ‘Gaji’ causes chaos
And defend it they did as Lawrenny lost the key early wickets of Harry Thomas, James Buckle and James Phillips cheaply and then Gary Lloyd, brought in to help out with the bowling whilst definitely in the veteran’s age category, showed how good his off-spin still is as he trapped key run-maker Kurtis Marsh lbw for 36 at a time when he also shifted Kyle Marsh (22) and Joe Kidney (2) to finish with splendid figures of 3 for 9 in nine overs.
Nathan Banner (1 for 32), Nick Koomen (2 for 24) and Patrick Hannon (2 for 10) also got amongst the wickets, as did Ross Hardy (2 for 23) including the vital wicket of Rob Williams, caught brilliantly by Patrick Bellerby as he sprinted 20 years around the rope.
Williams had scored a typically defiant 32 from his No 9 berth it was Neyland who celebrated victory whilst the Lawrenny players and their large band of supporters had the look of a club that had come so close to winning their first-ever league crown but lost by just four points after the teams had identical records in the results stakes!
Llechryd celebrate victory in style before making the ‘Dreaded Drop’
Haverfordwest (209 for 8) lost to Llechryd (213 for 6) by 4 runs
Umpires: Gareth Brace & Phil Griffiths
Scorer: Jayne Cole (Haverfordwest)
Haverfordwest needed just a single point to avoid any minor concerns about relegation and they easily achieved that against already-related Llechryd but suffered the disappointment of another narrow defeat in their worst campaign for a long time.
In sharp contrast, the visitors already knew they would be in division two next season but really enjoyed only their second success of a tough campaign, but the narrow margin of four runs.
The basis of Llechryd’s second big score of the season against Haverfordwest was again the strike power of John Curran and David Dunfee, who both claimed half centuries, but in different fashion.
Curran had seven fours in his top score of 59 but Dunfee went on the attack at the right time to launch his team to such an impressive tally – and smashed an amazing seven big sixes in his 56, which came off only 25 balls before he was caught by keeper Jack Scriven off James Marchant’s slow stuff.
This powerful pairs’ hitting was supported by Ollie Roberts (20), Tomos Davies (21) and Andrew Davies (20) as Marchant was the pick of The Town bowlers with 2 for 50 alongside wickets for Archie Thomas (1 for 38), Ashley James (1 for 28), Clive Tucker (1 for 54) and skipper Dai Davies (1 for 11).
Field fires The Town within reach
Ben Field led The Town batting with top score of 74 (10 fours and two sixes) before he holed out on the boundary to Joe Mansfield off Graham Keen, whilst his brother Dan (31), Archie Thomas (29) and James Marchant (20) were the other major contributors against David Dunfee (3 for 35), Graham Keen (2 for 41), Ollie Roberts (1 for 24) and Ifan Dow (1 for 28) as the successful Llechryd bowlers.
Ben Field led The Town reply with a classy 74 (10 fours and two sixes) before he was caught on the boundary by Joe Mansfield off Graham Keen, and his brother Dan (31) joined Archie Thomas (19) and James Marchant (20) as the main run-getters.
It was always going to be a close finish but Dunfee (3 for 35 to round off a man of the match performance), Keen (2 for 41), Ollie Roberts (2 for 24) and Ifan Dow (1 for 28) kept plugging away and Llechryd held their nerve well to ease past the winning post by such a narrow margin!
St Ishmaels live to fight another day
Narberth (132 all out) lost to St Ishmaels (174 for 8) by 42 runs
Umpires: Arthur Brady & Allan Hansen
Scorers: Gwyneth Johns & Wendy Bradshaw
St Ishmaels live to fight another day as their victory over Narberth secured their place in division one whilst Whitland lost so narrowly at home to Cresselly and so drop down into the second division after a long stay in the top echelon.
A surge of runs by Jonathan Pawlett and Phil Cockburn saw Tish give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding relegation as they moved from a parlous 125 for 6 in 37 overs to a far more respectable 174 for 8.
This pair shared a stand of 60 before Cockburn departed for 36 and Pawlett belted two fours and three sixes in his typically powerful 56 – whilst the other successful Tish batsmen were Brennan Devonald (a bright and breezy 26 that included five fours and a six) and Andrew Pawlett (two big sixes in his late 23 not out).
Matthew Johns was the main wicket-taker for Narberth with 3-50, assisted by Loui Davies (1 for 24), skipper Ben Hughes (2 for 33) and Ben Quartermaine (2 for 13 in nine miserly overs).
Several Narberth players completed cameos but got out at key times against Brennan Devonald (2 for 15), Andrew Palmer (2 for 47), Lewis Rhead (3 for 41) and Andrew Pawlett (3 for 22) all bowled well for the visitors.
Kyle Quartermaine (23) and Ben Hughes (23) were the top Narberth contributors alongside Daniel Hughes (13), Richard Adams (15), and Jamie McCormack (10) but Narberth were bowled out in the 33rd over – and Tish had to wait to hear for their good news from Whitland!
Scott’s late hat-trick still can’t save Whitland
Whitland (228 for 7) lost to Cresselly (229 for 7) by 3 wickets
Umpires: Dave Bonner & Tony Walsh
Scorers: Ann-Marie Jenkins & Tegan Cartwright
There was high drama at the end of the match between Whitland and Cresselly before the visitors managed to edge over the line despite a terrific hat-trick by Scott Newton, who started the final over with Cresselly needing only three runs with six wickets in hand thanks to a wonderful innings by skipper Iwan Izzard.Cresselly took a single off the first ball but then Newton shifted experienced batsmen Ryan Lewis, Neilson Cole and Alex Bailey to give Whitland the hope of staving off relegation where there had been none – but singles from Tom Murphy and Dan James took Cresselly to victory and sent Whitland down!
Whitland knew they needed something special from their final match of the season if they were to avoid relegation and they found it in three of their most able performers in a match at home to Cresselly which was limited to 37 overs a side because of the prevailing damp conditions.
Skipper Jonathan Thomas continued his recent good form with a classy 85 (10 fours and two sixes) that seemed likely to be converted into three figures until before he was caught by Tom Arthur off Ryan Lewis’s canny slow stuff.
And Geraint Jones, rightly regarded as one of the biggest hitters in the county, confirmed that reputation as he blitzed five fours and five massive sixes in his 65 runs made from only 42 balls.
Scott Newton contributed a hard-hitting 42 against Dan James (2 for 40), Ryan Lewis (2 for 55), talented teenager Ollie Berry (2 for 34) and Simon Cole (1 for 27) as no other home batsman managed double figures.
Then Izzard smashed a superb 133 from 125 balls (12 fours and six sixes), with support from Simon Cole (40), Dan Sutton (21) and Bailey (25) against Wayne Howells (1 for 39), Luc Owen (1 for 37) and Jonathan Thomas (1 for 31) as Newton (4 for 51) completed a good day with bat and ball – but to lose from the final ball of such an entertaining clash must have been a sickener for the Whitland team and supporters!
No covers at Saundersfoot – no match!
Saundersfoot v Carew - Match cancelled
** Sadly, this match was cancelled because of a wet pitch