Neyland ease through in top Dougie Morris clash

 

Neyland (157-4) beat Cresselly (146-4) by 11 runs

Umpires: Dave Brandon and Dave Bonner

Scorers: John Laugharne and Teagan Cartwright


Neyland remain on course to continue their recent DR Morris Cup domination as Sean Hannon’s side stifled the run chase of Cresselly last night to prevail by 11 runs in their quarter final.

The home side posted 157-4 in their 20 overs as Scott Jones top scored with 38, and although the Doves kept wickets in hand for the bulk of their reply, they left themselves too much to do at the death despite opener Dan Sutton finishing 70 not out.

It means the cup holders will now face Haverfordwest in the final four for the right to meet Whitland or Lawrenny in the final.

Neyland openers Nick Koomen and Scott Jones, playing his last game before a stint abroad this summer, gave their side a smooth start as they took 14 off a Tom Murphy over en route to posting 36-0 in five overs.

That moved on to 46-0 until an eventful eighth over from Matthew Lewis, which saw Jones dropped by Sutton and one ball later Koomen rubbed salt into the wounds with a reverse sweep for four. But he went for the same shot off the next delivery and was trapped LBW for 27 (four fours), but it didn’t stem the momentum as Henry Durrant joined Jones in pushing things on.

In the 12th over the pair shared three boundaries as they took 15 off Lewis, and then Jones promptly took Tom Arthur for two fours straight after, only to be then trapped LBW by the same bowler for 38 (four fours).

The introduction of talented young leg spinner Josh Lewis helped swings thing further towards Cresselly as he bowled Durrant (25) with his second ball - and continued to stifle the home team before No 4 Gregg Miller cut loose by hitting him for a straight six in the 16th over.

The youngster had revenge though when Miller (14) holed out to Murphy, but his brother Andrew continued to keep things with ticking as he made 31 not out (two fours) and was joined by Hannon (7 not out) who capitalised on a Murphy no ball to launch a free hit for a one-bounce four.

That helped take Neyland to 157-4, with Josh Lewis finishing on 2-32, Matthew Lewis 1-29, Sam Harts 0-22, Arthur 1-31 and Murphy 0-36 off four-over stints.

It was Patrick Hannon who then set the tone for a disciplined Neyland display in the field by starting with a maiden over, but then Phil ‘Taffy’ Williams got things moving with two fours off Durrant.

And it was Williams who was the aggressor early on as he scored 27 (five fours) of his side’s first 32 runs, before in the seventh over he was cruelly run out at the non-striker’s end when Sutton’s drive deflected off bowler Hannon and onto the stumps.

That brought in Simon Cole and he began to get going by twice taking Andrew Miller to the fence but after 10 overs, the Doves were 55-1 and still well behind the rate before Sutton began to accelerate with a big six off Tom Pritchard and after Cole was put down by Durrant off Geraint Rees in the 15th over, his partner took advantage to crack successive fours and take his team past three figures.

They progressed that to 126-1 with two overs to go, meaning an equation of 30 off 12 balls.

But although Sutton passed 50 it was Sean Hannon who came from behind the stumps to strike a crucial blow, skittling Cole with 10 balls left after he’d reached 35 (four fours).


Alex Bayley came in and had little choice but to swing to the hills, and after a wide first up found the fence with his second ball, only to perish straight after when he was caught on the boundary by Koomen.


It left Cresselly needing 21 off Rees in the final over, but Sutton and Matthew Lewis (4) could only manage nine from the first five balls before the latter was clean bowled off the final delivery, leaving Sutton unbeaten in vain on 70 not out (five fours and two sixes).


For Neyland, who have won the DR Morris Cup every year bar one since capturing it in 2013, Patrick Hannon finished 1-11, Durrant 0-30, Andrew Miller 0-25, Geraint Rees 1-47, Tom Pritchard 0-30 and Sean Hannon 2-11.

 

PHOTO:
Scott Jones - batted well for Neyland

 

Narberth (62 all out) lost to Haverfordwest (137 all out) by 75 runs

Division Two side Narberth restricted Haverfordwest to just 137 all out – but then any chances of an upset were blown away as the home side were reduced to 17 for 5 and then shot out for 62.

Town skipper Danny Potter opted to bat and saw openers Mike Jones (15) and Ben Field (19) both get brisk starts before falling to Louis Davies.

Dai Davies (1) was bowled by Matthew Johns and after No 3 Lee Summons also cracked two sixes in his 21 before holing out to Richie Adams off the same bowler, and Johns them also removed Jake Merry for a duck to leave the visitors 82-5.

Archie Thomas prompted a bit of a revival with 21 off 14 balls, including two fours and a six before being run out, and Adam James (9) cracked one over the ropes as Haverfordwest were all out in h, their final over.

For Narberth, Johns finished with great figures of 5-26, Ben Hughes 1-26, Davies 2-25, and Ben Quartermaine 1-25.

But their reply never got going. They reached 11-0 before spinner Clive Tucker clean bowled Davies (4) and Jordan Howell (0) in successive balls, and after James bowled Adams (4) and Tucker picked up a third victim in Ben Quartermaine, the score stood at 12-4 and the game was all but over.

In fact it was only No 10 Johns who reached double figures, hitting a four and a six in a defiant 16 before in the 17th over, he was last man out LBW to Chris Fitzpatrick.

For Potter’s side Tucker finished with figures of 3-10, James 1-9, Archie Thomas 3-22, Fitzpatrick 2-9 and Summons 1-7.

PHOTO:
Archie Thomas - runs and wickets in Haverfordwest win

 

Lawrenny (114-1) beat Pembroke Dock (113-6) by 9 wickets

Harry Thomas and Kurtis Marsh helped Lawrenny make light work of Pembroke Dock after the home side could only post 113-6, despite a great effort from opener Jake Griffiths.

Despite losing partner Luke Murray (0) LBW to Rob Williams early on, and then seeing No 3 Billy Wood (3) caught and bowled by Jamie Lewis, Griffiths smashed 58 (five fours) before he was eventually sixth man out as he was caught by Lewis off Ryan Morton.

There were late runs for Thomas Grimwood (14) and Niall Brunton (13 not out) to help the Dock past three figures, as Lawrenny wickets were shared between Williams (1-8), Lewis (1-17), Marsh (1-23), Thomas (1-34) and Morton (2-27).

The home reply got a bad start as Thomas Cole (6) was run out, but then Thomas and No 3 Marsh took over.

The latter wasted no time in reaching 63 not out (12 fours), and Thomas was more measured with 39 not out (seven fours) as the pair secured the win in 16 overs.

PHOTO:
Kurtis Marsh - more runs for Lawrenny

 

Whitland (186-6) beat Carew (134-7) by 52 runs

The big hitting of Jack Bowen and Geraint Jones set up Whitland for a comfortable win over Carew.

Opener Bowen cracked 57 and the in-form Jones 48, while Jonathan Thomas also made 40 to help the Borderers to 186-6 in their 20 overs, while Tom Davies (1-46), Rhys Davies (2-37), Simon Wood (1-23), Iori Hicks (1-29), and Ceri Brace (1-23) took wickets for the away side.

It was Thomas who then disrupted the reply of the Rooks as despite good knocks from Tom Davies (47) and Nick Davies (22), the spinner took 4-27 in his four overs – while Jones (1-34), Bowen (1-17) and skipper Matthew Davies (1-22) restricted Carew to 134-7.

PHOTO:
Jack Bowen - big hitting for Whitland

 

Semi finals:

Lawrenny v Whitland at Kilgetty
Neyland v Haverfordwest at St Ishmaels
Dates and venues to be confirmed.