Narberth remain top of the second division despite losing at home to Llechryd at the Lewis Lloyd Ground, St Ishmaels now hot on their heels after a convincing win at Cresselly 2XI, Pembroke remain third, after beating Carew 2XI at Treleet. Hook overcame Johnston in the miner’s village and Llanrhian defeated Buron 2XI in the relegation encounter at Llandigigie Fawr, although both sides remain thirty points adrift of safety as the halfway stage of the season occurs next weekend.
Narberth skipper Lewis Hough asked his opposite number Joe Mansfield to bat in the ADW Tree Services sponsored game, Llechryd ending their forty overs on 146-9. Mansfield (21; 3x4) was the first wicket to fall on 31, opening partner Jac Davies (17;2x4) was bowled on 71-2 by Ben Hughes (1-39) happy to allow John Curran to dominate their second wicket partnership of 40, Curran dismissed 8 runs later on 79-3 after scoring 35 (5x4) when he was caught by James McCormack to give Ryan Williams his first wicket in a 4-24 return.
Ifan-Wyn Jones (6) was LBW to Williams on 94-4 and 8 runs later Steve Smith (17) was caught by Hughes off seamer Willaims on 102-5. New ball bowler Lewis Jones returned to take 2-33, removing Jamie Smith (17) with a return catch on 116-6 before Graham Keen (2) was caught by Rhodri Dyer on 124-7. Ian Davies remained unbeaten on 18 (1x4), Evan Lewis (11) struck a maximum before he was caught by Hough to give Jones his second wicket, Jaap Harries unbeaten on 1 when time was called and scribed by returning notcher, Gwyneth Johns on 146-8.
The ‘Barmy Army’ lost Hough (10; 1x6) on 13-1 when Smith (1-29) had him caught by Andrew Davies and fellow opening batsman Louis Davies (2x4) was caught by Jac Davies on 27-2, off the bowling of Curran (1-35). Dyer (59;3x6;4x4) and Hughes (7;1x4) took the score to 68 with a 41 run third wicket partnership before Hughes was caught by Harries off the bowling of Keen (3-22). Veteran Mathew Johns (4) was dismissed on 76-4, the first wicket for teenage spinner Harries in a 4-19 in his analysis, Keen taking his second wicket when the dangerous McCormack fell for 5 on 103-5.
Harries then took control of his sides victory march as he bowled Jones for a duck and a run later on 105-7 Keen castled Williams also for a duck. Dyer was bowled by Harries on 109-8, his half century coming off 36 balls, the spinner then bowling Lewis Bansal for another duck and the innings ended on 11ao, when Tim Webb was run out having hit a boundary in his innings of 5, with ten overs of the game still remaining.
St Ishmaels won their fifth consecutive game to remain in second place after a resounding 154 run win at Cresselly 2XI, whose skipper Josh Lewis elected to field on winning the toss. Peter Bradshaw (32;4x4) helped take the scoreboard to 89-1 before he was caught by Iori Thomas off spinner Lewis after he joined the fray as third change bowler. Veteran seamer Stefan Jenkins (1-43) bowled opening batsman Phil Llewellyn for 54 (1x6;9x4) two runs later and Brennan Devonald fell on the same score as Lewis picked up his second wicket in his 2-39 via the hands of George Davies.
Jon Pawlett and veteran Kar Rhead added 102 for the fourth wicket before captain Pawlett was dismissed a run shy of his half century having struck a maximum and four boundaries from 36 balls faced when he was caught by Milo Jones off opening bowler Thomas (2-28), Rhead having retired not out on 40 (4x4).
Teenager Tom Williams was unbeaten on 28 (2x4) at better than a run a ball, Andy Pawlett striking a six before he was bowled for 10 by Thomas on 213-5, Williams joined by his Uncle Andrew, the elder Williams unbeaten on 2 when the innings closed on 216-5 with 9 extras recorded.
Davies was caught by Bradshaw for a duck on 1-1 off Tom Williams (2-19), veteran Neal Willams (3) bowled by Devonald (2-16) on 3-2 and Jenkins going the same way for a duck two balls later, Owen Rowlands also dismissed for a duck by Williams via the hands of Wales international gloveman Huw Scriven to leave the Doves 3-4. Thomas (22;3x4) and his skipper Lewis (16; 1x6;1x4) took the score to 42-5 with a 41 run fifth wicket partnership, Lewis falling two runs later when he was bowled Andrew Pawlett for the first of his 4-19.
Wicketkeeper Milo Jones dismissed for a duck on 49-7 when Pawlett took the catch off fellow spinner Steve Williams (2-6), Ryan Lewis thumping a six and four in an unbeaten 14, Jospeh Davies bowled by Williams on 61-8, his partner in crime Pawlett bowling Tyler James a run later also without troubling scorer Wendy Bradshaw, Cody James the last player out on the same score of 62, inside twenty overs, the seventh home batsman not recording a run to their name.
Pembroke (245-7) made a flying start in a match sponsored in memory of Keith Mitchell, after being asked to bat by veteran Carew skipper Nick Scourfield, Archie Hillier-Wood (12; 1x4) dismissed by Carter Hayward (2-47) caught by David Rees, wicketkeeper Wil Davies bowled by Ollie Tucker for 9(1x4) on 69-2. Former Rooks all rounder Ceri Brace (62’ 7x4) was joined by his skipper Jack harries as they added 93 for the third wicket, opening bowler Madoc Evans (1-28) returning to remove Brace on 162-3. Gareth Long (3) was bowled by the skipper’s son, Jac Scourfield (3-63), all rounder Billy Wood striking three boundaries in his 27 before Hayward returned to the attack to remove his bails on 219-5, Scourfield accounting for Gareth Morgan for a duck thanks to the safe hands of his ‘old man’ on 230-6. Scourfield took the prized scalp of Harries whose century included eleven boundaries alongside a brace of sixes from 82 balls, via the hands of Evans on the penultimate ball of the innings, Callum Davies not scoring off the final ball and Andrew Price unbeaten on 12 (1x6) on completion of the 40 overs, with 18 extras recorded.
Prominent opening batsman over the past three decades for the Rooks, Scourfield senior was first out for 10 (2x4) in the reply, when his bails flew from opening bowler Wood (5-17), the equally venerable gloveman Hayden Shapcott (2) going the same way on 21-2, after the opening over of the innings by Callum Davies went for 18. His replacement Price bowled Scott Richards for the first of his 5-13, on 21-3, before he caught Corey Hall for a duck off Wood next over and then bowled Jamie Heeps (4) the next over to leave the visitors 25-5.
This became 28-6 when Rhys Grigg was bowled by Wood, Scourfield junior and Haywards dismissed for ducks to price, the Scourfield to the safe hands of Brace on 34-8. Price then caught Tucker for another duck to give his partner in crime his fifth wicket, before he then went nap 9 runs later by bowling last man Evans for 4(1x4), Rees unbeaten for a top score of 11 (1x6) as Mr Extras top scored with 15 when the game ended inside 15 overs.
Hook (150ao) overcame close rivals Johnston (86ao) by 64 runs at the Recreation ground, Tom Blaxland top scoring for the hosts with 44(8x4) after his skipper Aled Phelps had been invited to bat by the Tigers skipper Liam Bowell. Keegan Codd (3-28) took the 112 First Aid sponsored match ball and bowled Liam Miller (4;1x4) and his new ball partner Steve Mills (2-11) accounted for the other Hook opening batsman, teenager Rhys Phelps(1) the same way to leave the hosts 9-2. Blaxland found an ally in his captain as they added 54 for the third wicket before birthday boy Geno Cleal celebrated his birthday by catching Blaxland off the bowling of Liam James (1-24). Codd’s hands accounted for George James (7) on 80-4 as spinner Chris Fitzpatrick took 1-21, skipper Phelps (21; 1x4) patient vigil ended when he was bowled by Nick Davies (2-26) on 89-5. Jacob Lay (2) was caught by James to give Davies his second wicket at 97-6 and 4 runs later Owen Phelps also fell for 7 when Mills returned to the action and had him caught by James.
Wicketkeeper Wil Goronwy (13;1x6) and Callum James (14; 2x4) crucially added 20 for the eight wicket before James was bowled by Codd, Goronwy falling the same way to Lee Summons (1-16) on 144-9, the innings ended with 8 balls remaining when Brennan Martin (10; 2x4) was adjudged LBW to Codd, 26 extras recorded to bolster the home scorecard.
The Tigers response saw Summons (3) caught at ground level by the home skipper off Martin (2-8) on 13-1, Fitzpatrick bowled on the same score next over by fellow incumbent with the new cherry James (2-23) having struck a brace of boundaries in his 9. This became 13-3 when Davies was also bowled first ball by James and the visitors distress compounded as birthday boy Cleal registered 40 less in the scorebooks of Chris Holder and Steve (snr) Mills than the candles on his cake, caught by George James off seamer, Martin.
Teenager Freddie Goodridge (1) was bowled by Aled Phelps (4-10) on 22-5, number 3 batsman Mills standing firm until Phelps, from the Road End bowled him on 32-6, having struck a six and a four in his watchful vigil. Codd, who top scored with 28(1x6;5x4) was joined by skipper Boswell who struck two boundaries in his 9 before Phelps accounted for his stumps on 43-7, James playing on an over later to Phelps to be dismissed for a duck on 48-8 which became 51-9 when Lee Chenery missed a straight darter from Owen Phelps (1-23) in front of umpires Bradley Flood and Steve James.
A final wicket partnership of 35 took the score to 86ao in the thirty second over, Mathew Holder (1-11) having Codd caught by Rhys Phelps, last man Chris Goodridge unbeaten on ten having hit a six, with 6 extras recorded.
The final game in the division was the relegation encounter at Llandigigie Fawr, where host Llanrhian (90-3) beat Burton II (86ao) by 7 wickets. Number 9 batsman Joe John struck six boundaries and three maximums in his 44 before being the last wicket to fall, having come to the crease on 36-7 after Dan Williams (5-21) and Jack Jones (2-24) had caused havoc with the new ball. Opening batsman Wil Ridge was the only other scorer beyond extras (10) to record double figures, his 14 nursed by three boundaries and he was the third wicket to fall on 16-3. The visitors had five batsman not recording a run as they were dismissed in the twenty first over, Luke Williams (1-4) and Gareth Watson (1-6) also successful for the hosts with wickets.
Rhys Watkins (27;1x6;3x4) and number 3 Tom Clarke (38; 3x6;4x4) led the Cows home to graze in the twenty first over also, Steve Bachelor unbeaten on 11 (2x4) and Williams (6) striking the winning runs with a boundary. Opening bowler Jack Bevan picked up 2-22 from his allocated overs as the pick of the visiting attack, Dan Griffiths (1-29) and Mathew Davies (1-18) the other wicket takers, where 3 extras were conceded.
Photo: Aled Phelps in action for Hook
