PHOTOS:

Haverfordwest CC
Haverfordwest skipper Danny Potter receives the magnificent Bowl from  Hugh Harrison-Allen
Cresselly CC
Man of the match Simon 'Doc' Holliday with Mike Brace, who adjudicated the award with John Laugharne
Umpires Richard Merriman and Dave Brandon
Scorers Teagan Cartwright and Jayne Cole

 

Harrison-Allen Bowl Final:

 

Haverfordwest (158 for 6 & 200 for 4) beat Cresselly (168 for 7 & 185 all out) by 6 runs

Umpires: Dave Brandon & Richard Merriman
Scorers: Jayne Cole & Teagan Cartwright
Venue: Cresselly Cricket Club
 
What a match! What a finish to a terrific game of cricket played between two teams who clearly respected each other to the utmost!
 
Haverfordwest are the Harrison-Allen Bowl winners for 2016 after a titanic clash against Cresselly which had everything – loads of runs, massive six-hits, great catches, high drama and vociferous crowds on the balcony.
 
There was a below average crowd to witness one of the most competitive finals for many years but a small minority who wished to express their views about earlier events in this Blue Riband competition sadly went over the top with a few drinks inside them – but in the final analysis it was Pembrokeshire Cricket which came out on top.
 

Town fight back from disastrous start

 
Haverfordwest made a disastrous start as a clearly-nervous Ben Field edged a Sam Harts’ delivery to Cresselly keeper Neilson Cole after a few shaky deliveries and was removed for a duck.
 
Even worse was to follow because Simon Holliday was superbly caught at backward square leg by sub Matthew Webb, on in the second over because Simon Cole had sustained a nasty calf injury in the celebration of Field's wicket and was unable to play any further part.
 
At 6 for 2 Haverfordwest needed a recovery badly and it came in the guise of Dai Davies and skipper Danny Potter, who initially made slow progress but gradually raised the tempo as Davies dropped anchor and Potter stroked ten fours in the 40 balls he faced.
 

Potter, Davies and James lead the fight-back

 
Potter reached a splendid 53 before he attempted a straight drive and was caught in the deep by Sam Harts, having put on 79 runs with Davies but his demise brought Adam James to the crease and he enhanced his big hitting reputation with three mighty sixes, in a lightning-quick 28 from ten balls, as The Town sped to 125 for 4 with three overs left.
 
They lost a few wickets in the inevitable late run chase but Dai Davies reached an excellent half century, including two fours and two late sixes in his undefeated 57 as Haverfordwest finished up on 158 for 6 in their allotted 22 overs, whilst for Cresselly there were useful bowling figures from Ryan Lewis (2 for 42), Sam Harts (1 for 40) and Mike Shaw (2 for 34).
 

Cresselly struggle early on but Morgan and Lewis put them back in contention

 
Cresselly started batting in similar circumstances by losing Alex Bailey and Phil Williams as Gareth Davies and Adam James were the successful bowlers before Adam Chandler and Matthew Morgan redressed the balance to reach 50 in the sixth over.
 
Chandler eventually departed for 22 as he was adjudged lbw and Mike Shaw was run out by the combined efforts of Dai Davies and Huw Scriven - but Morgan made The Town pay for dropping him on 30 and 44 before completing a stylish 50 from 49 balls, including seven fours.
 
At the other end Ryan Lewis was a danger as he launched four big sixes and two fours before Josh Wilment shifted him with a good catch by Gareth Davies in the deep but his cracking 47 from only 22 balls was enough to take his side into tea with a ten-run lead, despite the efforts of James (2 for 40), Holliday (1 for 36), Davies (1 for 35) and Wilment (1 for 20).
 

Holliday shines, again assisted by Davies

 
Field hit a beautiful six to get Haverfordwest off to a good second-innings start but was bowled soon afterwards by Lewis – but again it was Davies who helped them recover alongside Holliday, who was clearly determined to score big after a disappointing first innings. Holliday struck a series of 10 boundaries and seven sixes as he sped to a superb 109 in only 59 deliveries and Davies (34) was the perfect foil in a partnership of 96 before both fell to good boundary catches by Bobby Webb.
Danny Potter (24 not out) and Dan Cole (12 not out) added vital late runs for The Town to take them to 200 for 4 as Lewis was again the pick of the Cresselly bowlers with another 2 for 42 haul.
 

Chandler leads superb Cresselly charge, again supported by Morgan

 
So Cresselly knew they needed a massive 191 runs to win and showed great determination despite the early loss of Bailey as Holliday took a good low boundary catch off James – but Phil Williams joined Adam Chandler in redressing the balance before he was caught by Scriven off the bowling of Adeel Khan for 16.
 
Chandler was clearly in run-scoring mode and his ability to punish anything loose alongside excellent running between the wickets saw him and Matthew Morgan keep their side very much in contention.
 
Morgan looked a class act but fell to a Gareth Davies catch at backward point off Wilment when he’d stroked 42 runs in 39 balls – and the same bowler shifted the dangerous Ryan Lewis soon afterwards with Adam James’ assistance.
 

Wilment and the outstanding James win it for Haverfordwest

 
It looked as if the pendulum had sung back in Cresselly’s favour as Mike Shaw (18) redressed the balance with two big sixes off successive balls, before he was bowled by James.
 
The loss of Chandler for a terrific 80, including five fours and a six, from a beautifully-judged catch by Nigel Delaney, to give Wilment a third vital wicket in the innings, meant that Cresselly needed seven runs to win from the last over.
 
They were clear favourites but Adam James had other ideas as he clean bowled Harts and Webb in successive balls before Arthur was run out by Scriven looking for a non-existent second run – and so Simon Cole had to limp to the crease as skipper Neilson Cole faced the final ball knowing it was six or nothing for his team.
 
He made a good contact as the ball went out to long on but it lacked quite the necessary pace and Dai Davies took a good catch some 15 yards inside the boundary and it was Haverfordwest who were victors of an epic contest.
 

Potter picks up the coveted Bowl

 
One could feel sorry for Cresselly because they played a key role in such a terrific final and especially for Simon Cole, who is a wonderful player and terrific club man who could only take part in the first ten balls and the very last delivery of the game.
 
But it was Danny Potter who received the coveted Bowl from Hugh Harrison-Allen for the second time in three seasons to allow Haverfordwest to celebrate victory from a cricket battle which showed the very best of Pembrokeshire Cricket!

SCORECARDS:
 
FIRST INNINGS:
 
Haverfordwest Batting:
Simon Holliday ct sub (Matthew Webb) b Ryan Lewis 2
Ben Field ct Neilson Cole b Sam Harts 0
Dai Davies not out 57
Dan Potter ct Sam Harts b Mike Shaw 53
Adam James ct Bobby Webb b Ryan Lewis 28
Dan Cole lbw b Mike Shaw 28
Gareth Davies run out 4
Adeel Khan not out 5
Extras 8
Total (6 wickets) 158
 
Cresselly Bowling:
Ryan Lewis 6-0-42-0; Sam Harts 5-0-40-1; Tom Arthur 5-0-40-0; Mike Shaw 5-0-40-0
 
Cresselly Batting:
Adam Chandler lbw b S Holliday 22
Alex Bailey ct Dai Davies b Gareth Davies 7
Phil Williams lbw b Adam James 4
Matthew Morgan ct Ben Field b Adam James 61
Mike Shaw run out 8
Ryan Lewis ct Gareth Lewis b Josh Wilment 47
Neilson Cole not out 3
Sam Harts run out 2
Extras 14
Total (7 wickets) 168
 
Haverfordwest Bowling:
Adam James 6-44-2; Gareth Davies 4-0-35-1; Simon Holliday 6-0-36-1; Adeel Khan
 4-0-31-0; Josh Wilment 2-0-21-0
 
SECOND INNINGS:
 
Haverfordwest Batting:
Simon Holliday ct Bobby Webb b Ryan Lewis 109
Ben Field b Ryan Lewis 8
Dai Davies ct Bobby Webb b Sam Harts 34
Adam James ct Neilson Cole b Mike Shaw 7
Danny Potter not out 24
Dan Cole not out 12
Extras 6
Total (4 wickets) 200
 
Cresselly Bowling:
Ryan Lewis 6-0-42-2; Sam Harts 6-0-58-1; Mike Shaw 6-0-47-1; Tom Arthur 3-0-24-1; Bobby Webb 2-0-26-0
 
Cresselly Batting:
Adam Chandler ct Nigel Delaney b Josh Wilment 80
Alex Bailey ct Simon Holliday b Adam James 9
Phil Williams ct Huw Scriven b Adeel Khan 16
Matthew Morgan ct Gareth Davies b Josh Wilment 42
Ryan Lewis ct Adam James b Josh Wilment 9
Mike Shaw b Adam James 18
Neilson Cole ct Dai Davies b Adam James 3
Sam Harts b Adam James 0
Bobby Webb b Adam James 0
Tom Arthur run out 1
Simon Cole not out 0
Extras 7
Total (all out) 185
 
Haverfordwest Bowling:
Adam James 6-0-34-5; Gareth Davies 3-0-21-0; Simon Holliday 6-0-49-0; Adeel Khan 3-0-31-1; Josh Wilment 4-0-47-3