Good wins for league newcomers
Umpires: Chris Stapleton & Jon Willington
Scorers: Ginny Davies, Ian Milsom & Patrick Hannon
Venue: The Neyland Hub Community Centre
A noticeable feature of Monday Night’s matches in the indoor league saw three of the newer clubs showing how much they have improved by playing on a regular basis and learning from others who have been involved for many years – so well done Pembroke, Hook and Burton – and commiserations to Hundleton, plus the Pembrokeshire Veterans ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams, who all played a part in an entertaining evening of indoor cricket!
Pembroke Power to big win
Match One: Pembroke (148 for 3) beat Pembrokeshire Vets A (70 for 6) by 78 runs
Pembroke were able to field a strong side for their game against Pembrokeshire Vets and rattled up a huge score with their excellent running between the wickets and ability to punish anything marginally off-target.
They got off to a tremendous start as Jack harries both reached the retirement target on 26 after batting for fewer than four overs and then Sam Davies rapped a quick-fire 16 before getting run out; Andrew Price scored 10 before falling to a superbly-judged catch by Dan Griffiths off the bowling of Hywel Gibbs – and then Luke Butler smashed 26 not out in only nine deliveries.
Will Randall (3) was the only batsman to go early but it meant that there was time for Harries and Rogers to provide even more momentum, with Harries ending on 34 not out in 11 balls and Rogers belting three late fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 51 in 18 deliveries – and Pembroke had reached a massive total of 148 for 3.
The Vets A made a solid stat via Paul Webb (16) and Dan Griffiths (21) before the former player was run out and the latter fell to a good catch by Andrew Price off Jon Rogers – and Price then bowled Hywel Gibbs for a duck as Rogers returned the catching favour.
Alan Webster managed 15 before he was also run out and then Steve Davies (2 for 13) stepped in have Martin Thomas (6) caught behind by Luke Butler and Julian Forster bowled without troubling scorer Ginny Davies.
12 extras made the Vets’ score a little more respectable but they were shot out in only 6.5 overs to give Pembroke an easy win to show how much their indoor game has improved.
Hook youngsters too sharp for Hundleton
Match Two: Hundleton (82 all out) lost to Hook (83 for 3) by 3 wickets
Hook are another team who have started the indoor game this season and are now flexing their teenage muscles, as this comfortable win over Hundleton proved.
They put Hundleton in to bat and struck early on when Lewis Miller had David Lockyer (2) caught by Harry Makepeace and although Dylan Davies (run out for 20) and Steff Williams (12, bowled by Bradley Flood) made useful contributions they also lost Stuart McNiffe (5) and Stu Midgley (0) in quick succession.
McNiffe was making a welcome return after a leg injury sustained a while ago but was well caught and Aled Phelps off Makepeace and Midgley was clearly disappointed to get run out like a dog in a mix-up which left him stranded and without a chance to make an impact.
But throughout these losses Craig Williamson stood strong and the big fellow belted two sixes and two fours in his excellent 35 before he was finally run out having helped Hundleton to 82 all out with the aid of 9 extras.
Hook also lost an early wicket when Dylan Davies caught Aled Phelps (7) off Steff Williams, whose brother Owen then chipped in with 13 before he was run out – but then Lewis Miller joined his brother Liam in a good stand before opener Liam retired on 26
.
Brad Flood his a rapid 16 before Dylan Davies took his second catch off Williams to shift him when he looked likely to take Hook home but Lewis Miller ended up with a steady 14 not out and was joined by Harry Makepeace (6 not out) in guiding Hook home by three wickets, with 15 balls still in hand.
Burton leave it late but edge home
Match Three: Pembrokeshire Vets B (96 for 1) lost to Burton (97 for 2) by 4 wickets
Burton are the other newcomers this season who have shown a significant improvement but they were pushed all the way by a talented Pembrokeshire Vets B team who reached a healthy 96 for 1 from their allotted ten overs and applied some pressure on Burton before they only lost two wickets but had just two balls in hand when the winning hit was made.
The Vets lost regular run-getter Neal Williams for only five runs but then the classy St Ishmaels duo of Stuart Carpenter (25) and Kevin Bowen (27) reached the mandatory retirement target as they might not be quite as sprightly between the wickets as in days of yore but contributed considerably with their stroke play.
Leighton O’Connor has been missing though injury for a while but the former top rugby scrum half and Welsh vets cricketer returned as if he had never been away with another retirement score of 25 and although there was little time for Rob Nicholas and Ian Milsom to make a mark with the bat their team had reached 96 for 1 that included 19 threes, a four, straight six and 11 extras.
Burton also got off to a sluggish start as Dan Ridge (2) was run out and Morgan Scale (10) suffered the same fate – but Jack Davies and Toby Hayman were soon in the thick of things and the runs began to flow until both retired on 25.
Harry Owen (23 not out) also looked in good nick alongside keeper Richard James (9 not out) and this speedy twosome paced the run-in nicely and were still there at the end of a game that showed all that is good in local indoor cricket, where teenagers can play alongside others who are 65+ but still contributing well!
