In one of the most shocking games of the season so far, Saundersfoot (208-4) pulverised Carew (83ao) to snatch their spot at the top of Division 1. Carew elected to field on home turf, no doubt seeking to make use of the poor weather conditions. Their bowling started serviceably, Iori Hicks (1-21) and Noah Davies (2-21) opened with good figures. Those were however the only wickets their bowlers managed, with the single other dismissal coming from the runout of Simon Stanford (98) who was denied a fast-paced century right at the last moment. His efforts, combined with those of Nick Cope (60no) and Tom Mansbridge (28) left their side with a total of 208; large, but no doubt gettable from the view of Carew. Though that was not to be, as Saundersfoot’s bowlers had different plans. Sam Franklin (3-28) dismissed three of Carew’s four openers, followed up by an extremely economical removal of the middle order by Nick Cope (4-7). John Mansbridge (2-18) ensured the collapse, sending Carew packing with a mere 83 runs. A surprisingly one-sided affair that will surely have ramifications for the title race going forward.
Cresselly (202ao) beat Narberth (151ao), winning by 51 runs to continue their climb up the table. Charlie Arthur was once again the star of the show, this time with the bat, adding a critical 90 to Cresselly's total, supported by smaller contributions from Phil Williams (18), Lewis Mason (17) and Griff Jenkins (16). Three wickets apiece from Ben Quartermaine (3-21) and Lewis Hough (3-44) managed to stem what might otherwise have been quite significant bleeding. In reply, Narberth showed some fight; Shay Norcross (20) joined Jamike McCormack (51) who top-scored with a half-century, but a shared-out bowling effort led Christian Phillips (3-23) and Tom Arthur (2-24) ultimately proved too much.
Herbrandston (143ao) bowled Neyland out for just 83 to win by 60 runs. Jack John (4-16) and Alan Webster (2-18) bowled well after winning the toss in the first innings, but Harry Nicholas replied with 54, Dean John (20) and Kristan Bennett (14) chipping in with useful runs to give the hosts a competitive total to defend. Herbrandston were ruthlessly effective with their bowling in the second innings, Dean John (3-17), Morgan Britton (2-5), Harry Nicholas (2-16) and Charlie Malloy (2-19) all worked as a unit to ensure the away side never got going. Dai Davies top scored on 20 for Neyland, trailed by Sean Hannon with 18.
Burton (106-6) claimed victory over Lawrenny (103ao) by 4 wickets in a low-scoring encounter that proved tighter than the league table might’ve suggested. Lawrenny were put in to bat, openers Harry Thomas (32) and Oscar Lewis (21) putting up a fair 53 runs between them. That was about where it ended in terms of batting successes for their side, the preceding 9 batsmen not managing to double that total. They suffered in majority against Jack Davies (5-14), who claimed a cheap 5 wicket haul, supported by John Scale (2-17) and Jamie Goldsworthy (2-40). In the second innings, Lawrenny did a respectable job at putting the game into doubt, tight and effective bowling from the likes of Ryan Morton (2-24) and Oscar Lewis (3-24) ensured that Burton could not simply walk them over. Though it was the one man they couldn't get out fast enough who made the difference, opener Martin James scored a steady 45 to put his side in a strong position. Jac Morgan (7no) eventually pushed the game over the line with a 4 in the 35th over.
Whitland against St Ishmaels was abandoned as both sides forgot their swimming trunks.
Division One Table (after Week 7): Saundersfoot lead on 110 points, followed by Carew (103), Neyland (92), Cresselly (78), Burton (76), Herbrandston (74), Narberth (51), St Ishmaels (43), Whitland (38) and Lawrenny (35).
Photo: Saundersfoot CC (from 20th May) - the team have enjoyed a fantastic start to their 2026 Division One campaign.
