County Match:

 

SWCA (192 all out) lost to Pembroke CCC (195 for 7) by 3 wickets

 
Umpires: Rob Bellerby & Chris Stapleton
Scorer: Natalie Thomas (Haverfordwest)
 
Venue: Cresselly Cricket Club
 
Pembroke County gained a deserved victory over their old rivals The South Wales Cricket Association as they bowled and fielded well to restrict their visitors to 192 all out on a very good batting track at Cresselly – and then kept their heads to ease home by three wickets and with four overs still in hand as they batted well in parts but were never able to really dominate as they have done previously.
 
Leading the way for Pembrokeshire in terms of bowling was impressive young Cresselly opening bowler Charlie Arthur, who struck early to shift Rhodri Davies cheaply and returned later in the innings to remove joint top scorer Joseff Davies (41, including 3 fours and 2 sixes)) and Jack Hobs (7) with the aide of a good John Mansbridge catch, thus finishing up with 3 for 39 in 7.3 overs.
 
Carew skipper Rhys Davies was also making a welcome return to the county team and he claimed an impressive 3 for 27 in his eight overs as a Charlie Arthur Catch helped dismiss No 3 Luke Grothwaite (20), followed by Matthew Blake (8) from a return catch, plus Scott Phillips (5, caught by Carew team-mate Joel Rhead as he caused problems to the SWCA middle order.  Also playing a part was young Cresselly cricketer Ollie Arthur, who was 12^th Man for the County and fielded really well!
 
Tom Blake struck eight boundaries in his speedy 41 early on but was bowled by Ross Hardy (Neyland), whilst Joseff Davies chipped in with 21 but as home captain Sean Hannon swapped his bowlers at regular intervals there was a wicket each for John Mansbridge (Saundersfoot) and Harry Thomas (Cresselly) as the SWCA were eventually dismissed for 192 as 17 extras boosted their total a little.
 

County recover from an early loss to gain the ascendancy

 
Pembs also lost an early wicket as Mikey Jones (Haverfordwest) was dismissed for two runs but Paul Murray (33) and Tom Mansbridge restored their balance before the latter was adjudged lbw on  59 and Murray was run out to make it 71 for 3.

Then Patrick Bellerby and Ross hardy (Neyland) added 63 before Hardy was run out for 29 and Arthur departed for a duck at the same score of 134 as he was bowled by Scott Phillips, who looked one of the better SWCA bowlers with his 2 for 19 in a six-over spell, two of them maidens.
 
Patrick Bellerby looked in command however, as he and Harry Thomas (29) took them to within sight of victory, with Bellerby stroking seven fours and an effortless six just 16 short of the total needed – and it was left to Rhys Davies and John Mansbridge to see Pembs home.
 

And finally . . .

 
The win was celebrated well by the county team and officials but there was some sympathy for former president and life member Nick Evans, who parked his shiny new Kia car on the bank and the windscreen was smashed by a big six from either Bellerby or Hardy, and poor old Nick didn’t know until he returned to drive it off.
 
It’s a strange thing about smashed windscreens at cricket matches and it is a blooming nuisance. Naturally, he received little sympathy, just some good-natured ribbing, until a nipper saw him approach and asked if it was his car.
 
Of course, Nick answered in the affirmative and received the following words of wisdom.
“Never mind mate,” said the 10 year old, going on 50, “I suppose things could be a lot worse!”





 
 
 
 

SCORECARDS:

 
SWCA Batting:
Tom Blake ct Patrick Bellerby b Ross Hardy 41
Rhodri Davies b Charlie Arthur 4
Luke Grothwaite ct Charlie Arthur b Rhys Davies 20
James Taube ct Harry Thomas b John Mansbridge 23
Matthew Blake ct & b Rhys Davies 8
Scott Phillips ct Joel Reed b Rhys Davies 5
Josh Cole b Harry Thomas 21
Joseff Davies b Charlie Arthur 41
Jack Hobbs ct John Mansbridge b Charlie Arthur 7
Owain Phillips run out 4
Will Collins not out 1
Extras 17
Total (all out) 192
 
Pembroke CCC Bowling:
Charlie Arthur 7.3-0-39-3; Joel Reed 5-1-18-0; Ross Hardy 4-0-38-1; Rhys Davies 8-1-27-3; John Mansbridge 8-0-35-1; Harry Thomas 6-0—31-1
 
Pembroke CCC Batting:
Mikey Jones ct Rhodri Davies b Will Collinson 2
Paul Murray  run out 33
Tom Mansbridge lbw b Jack Hobbs 19
Patrick Bellerby b Scott Phillips 51
Ross Hardy run out 29
Charlie Arthur b Scott Phillips 0
Harry Thomas ct Joseff Davies b Scott Phillips 29
Rhys Davies not out 4
John Mansbridge not out 8
Sean Hannon DNB
Joel Reed DNB
Extras 20
Total (7 wickets) 195
 
SWCA Bowling:
Will Collinson 8-0-43-1; Owen Davies 6-0-30-0; Jack Hobbs 6-1-32-1; Joseff Davies 8-0-48-0; Scott Phillips 6-2-19-2; James Taube 2-0-19-0