The Connect: Pembrokeshire Sport featured game on Saturday (May 31) produced a convincing win for promotion chasing Pembroke Dock (70-4) as they defeated visitors Laugharne (68ao) by 6 wickets in the ‘Rocket’ sponsored encounter at Imble Lane in Division 3.
Visiting skipper Callum Collins-Davies called heads wrongly at the coin toss and his opposite number George Smith had little hesitation in asking him to bat first, his commentary on the wicket being damp ringing true as Laugharne fell to 10-3 as left arm seamer Neil Gregory (2-22) bowling from the newly opened Maurice Layland Pavillion end, bowled Collins-Davies (2) with a peach of a delivery which came across the opening batsman with the last ball of the fourth over, before his replacement Liam Morley-Trivett ducked out halfway through the sixth over, both with the scoreboard, operated by home scribe, Nicola Murray, showing 6.
Fellow opening bowler Euan McDonald (1-8) had the second opening batsman Ben Thorne (2) caught by teenager Rhys Daley, Simon Davies striking four boundaries in his 17 before he fell to change bowler from the Road end, Nick Daley (3-24) via the hands of Tom Grimwood, 33-4 becoming 35-5 when skipper Smith (3-10) entered the auditorium to replace Gregory with his off breaks, Gregory not out of the limelight as he snaffled Barry Meredith for 8 (2x4). Sam Lynch (8) was caught in the shadows of the breaking sun by Peter Kingdom, to give Smith his second wicket with the match ball sponsored by ‘The Cricketers’.
Kingdom’s safe pair of hands accounted for Ellis Henessy (1) in the next over from Daly, Steve Trivett bowled by Daley for 4 (1x4), before Greg Taylor was bowled by Smith for a duck to leave the visitors 63-9 in the twentieth over. The innings ended on the first ball of the twenty second over, on the same score when wicketkeeper Scott Griffiths ran out Robert Jenkins without scoring, leaving the elder statesman of the Laugharne side, Shaun Lynch unbeaten on 21 (4x4).
Teenage opening bowler Sam Lynch (2-11) struck an early blow for his side, when he had Jake Davies caught by Thorne for a second ball duck using the match ball sponsored by Laugharne Co-operative and Carwyn Lewis Heating & Plumbing, Nick Daly joined his son Rhys at the crease to calm the home sides nerves, as they took the score to 34 before Lynch bowled him for 19(3x4), Rhys following him back to the Maurice Leyland Pavilion for 13 (1x4), which was unofficially opened before the game, to leave the Dockers 34-3 when he became Hennessys (2-19) first wicket, caught by Taylor. Kingdom was also caught, this time by Simon Davies for a duck off the bowling of Hennessy with his side 27 shy of victory, Tom Grimwood stepping up to lead his side home with an unbeaten 26 (4x4) once he was joined by Smith who was unbeaten on 2 when Grimwood struck the match winning boundary off Collins-Davies’s first ball of the seventeenth over.
Next week the buoyant Dock side travel to take on Haverfordwest second team on the Racecourse, firstly meeting second division Johnston in the Harrison Allen on Tuesday (Jun 3), Laugharne returning to their Athletic ground to host Lamphey with Collins-Davies and his sides flirting just above the relegation places as the season nears the halfway point.
Photo
Pembroke Dock squad, scorer Nicola Murray and support staff pictured at the unofficial opening of the Maurice Leyland Pavillion, named in recognition of their stalwart groundsman who had ensured Imble Lane is regarded as one of the top venues for cricket in Pembrokeshire.
