6th January 2025

 
 
Umpires: Jonathan Willington & Ian Milsom
Scorers: Ginny Davies & Ashley Watkins
Venue: Neyland Community Hub
 

Llanrhian (83 for 4) lost to Neyland A (84 for 0) by 6 wickets

 
There was inevitably an air of anticlimax in this tussle because Neyland A had already won the division one title for the umpteenth year in succession - and this was heightened by the fact that Llanrhian could only muster four players but bravely arrived at The Hub ready not to let the champions win without the chance to play on the final day of the campaign.
 
Although Llanrhian’s batting options were therefore severely limited they were assisted in the field by the fact that they had Jason Cole, their number one supporter (and making one outstanding stop), as a fielder alongside Neyland’s talented all-rounder Patrick Bellerby, who wasn’t required to bat and so spent the whole of the Neyland batting at possible No 6 in the order and fielded throughout for the opposition!
 
Llion Williams and Billy Clarke opened for Llanrhian but the latter was caught behind by Gregg Miller off his big brother Andrew for six runs.
 
Karl Davies joined the fray as the top all-rounder in the division as he and Williams took the score to 40 before Williams was bowled by Jack John for 20.
 
Llanrhian skipper Iwan James showed why he is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the competition as he was quickly into his routine alongside Davies (who departed for 20) to give Andrew Miller final figures of 2 for 22, alongside John (1 for 19).
 
James finished on 26 before he was run out from the final ball of the innings as opposing captain Sean Hannon (0 for 11), Brad McDermott-Jenkins (0 for 16) and Bellerby (0 for 13) also bowled tight spells for Neyland.
 
When Neyland batted their opening pair of Hannon and Gregg Miller quickly showed how practised they are in the art of batting indoors with anything loose despatched to the back wall and threes coming at regular intervals as they ran well between the wickets, both retiring on 26 before Andrew Miller (13 not out) and McDermott-Jenkins (7) finished things off, as they also had 13 extras as Neyland eased home in 8.3 overs.
 
 
 

Hook (90 for 3) lost to Pembroke B (92 for 4) by 2 wickets

 
Pembroke B finished up in bottom spot but rounded off a disappointing season in style as they won for the first time by beating Hook, who remained in second place and now face a play-off game next week against Pembroke A for the right to join Neyland A as the county’s representatives in the Welsh Finals.
 
Hook struggled to field a team but were able to call on the experience of dads who normally watch from the viewing gallery in Matthew Holder and Rob Makepeace, with brothers Aled and Owen Phelps not available.
 
 
It is a problem that has beleaguered Pembroke B all season but they had their two mainstays of the campaign in Will Davies and Ceri Brace exerting a real influence with their bats and at the same time they were able to give valuable experience to Jay Sutherland (14) and Ollie Donahoe (16) which hold them in good stead for future seasons.
 
Key Hook opener Liam Miller (4) was disappointingly run out but Harry Makepeace continued his outstanding form with the bat before retiring on 29 - and Hook’s talented teenager Charlie Holder (24) and Brad Flood (20 not out) took them to their final total after dads Matthew and Rob were unable to add any extra impetus to events in the short times at the crease they had.
 
Pembroke B got off to a better start via Brace (retired on 25) and Andrew Price (16 in 9 balls before he was run out), and after young Sutherland enjoyed a short stay at the crease Pembroke had their other star player in Will Davies joined by the returning Brace after Ollie Donahoe and dad Shaun came and went.
 
Suddenly this pair looked favourites as they drove up their team’s run rate so that 11 was needed off the final over - and they managed it off the very last ball, although Brace (38 not out in 25 balls) and Davies (26 not out in 22 balls) could both have been run out but Hook failed to gain at least a tie when they had looked likely winners for most of the match.
 
 
 

Pembroke A (105 for 4) beat Pembroke Dock (102 for 5) by 3 runs

 
Pembroke rounded off their campaign on a high note as they fended off a strong challenge by local rivals Pembroke Dock to win by three runs in a game where The Dock were clear favourites to win going into the last over, needing only seven runs, and three off the final three deliveries - but The Dock were an able to score any runs as Sam Davies worked his wonders with the ball.
 
It means Pembroke stay in third place and so compete in a play-off with Hook next Monday, whilst The Dock linger in the bottom two after this disappointing defeat after doing so well for much of the match.
 
But it was Pembroke who undeniably started the better, despite being without key bowler Callum Davies and all-rounder Billy Wood, as skipper Jack Harries and his vice-captain Luke Butler sped to 26 apiece before retiring.
 
But then the run rate decreased as Sam Davies (3), George Morgan (6) and Jack Davies (3) lost a little impetus but back came skipper Harries to belt a couple of sixes as he finished on 38 not out and Pembroke set their old rivals a three-figure target to chase.
 
 The Dock’s regular openers of Rhys Daley and Tom Grimwood (14) gave them a steady start before the latter was caught by Bowyn Clarke off his own bowling - and was soon followed by Nick Daley (1), Adam Phillips (4) and George Smith before Scott Griffiths joined Rhys Daley, who had returned to the action and kept the score going in the right direction, with Griffiths chipping in with 12 before he also departed.
 
It was left to Rhys Daley to keep his team in with a chance of victory as he scored 44 not out (41 balls) but was unable to score those late runs as Harries (1 for 14), George Morgan (1 for 20) and Clark (1 for 43) joined Sam Davies (1 for 23) in their three-over stints!