The 2025 Harrison Allen Bowl Final, to be played at Cresselly Cricket Club on Saturday (Aug 30) with wickets pitched at noon by umpires Jonathan Willingston and Trefor Evans, will feature a division 2 side for the first time in 25 years when Narberth will play the most successful team in local cricket over the past 15 years, Neyland.
Neyland (85ao) earned their place after an absorbing 1 run win on Tuesday (Jul 15) at Herbrandston over another Division 2 outfit, St Ishmaels who will reflect on their run chase which saw them finish on 84-4 from their 22 overs.
Neyland skipper Sean Hannon elected to bat on a pitch which, despite the low scores registered was in prime condition and the efforts of groundsman Andy Williams and his team, but Hannon, who also captains the County side this week in their fixture against the MCC, at Cresselly on Thursday (Jul 17) at 1pm, will be reflective on his side’s performance, particularly with the bat.
An opening partnership in front of umpires Neill Crawshaw and Ian Gow between Paul Murray (11;2x4) and veteran Gregg Miller (18;2x4) set the all whites off, opening bowler Brennan Devonald taking the first of his 4-28 when Murray was caught by Lewis Rhead, Ashley Sutton, recalled in place of Wales Senior International Alan Webster, was bowled the next over without troubling the scorers, Wendy Bradshaw (St Ishmaels) and Arthur Arran, (Neyland) by spin king Andrew Pawlett (2-31) who also accounted for Ross Hardy (1) via the hands of Steve Williams to leave Neyland on 35-3, Patrick Bellerby (4;1x4) bowled by Devonald on 40-4.
Mice skipper Jonathan Pawlett (1-16) accounted for Miller on 51-5, veteran Andrew Williams safely snaffling the catch, with his younger brother into the attack as an off spinner, bowling Andrew Miller (14;2x4) on 61-6 and Hannon on the same score, for a duck. Younger sibling Patrick Hannon struck a boundary before he became Williams third scalp for 9, 77-8 becoming 83-9 when Devonald returned to the limelight to pin Jack John LBW. Dai Davies showed his cricketing astuteness and ability to marshal the scoreboard to a defendable target, being unbeaten on 14(1x4) when last man Tom Pritchard had his bails removed for no score bey Devonald two runs later.
The St Ishmaels response started confidently with an opening partnership of 23 between Peter Bradshaw and Phil Llewellyn, who fell LBW to Ross Hardy for 11 (2x4) and continued without drama as skipper Pawlett helped take the score to 56-2 before he lost Bradshaw for 28(4x4) to Sean Hannon, who had removed his wicketkeeping attire to bowl his mixture of seam and swing, Bellerby taking a running catch, the same player had previously called he did not make a catch in the same deep mid off area, an over before, true sportsmanship in the heat of battle.
Andrew Miller bowled his slow turners to help Hannon stifle the run flow and the run rate climbed as the final overs drew closer, Hannon (3-20), bowling Pawlett (19;1x4) off the last ball of the eighteenth over. Phil Cockburn (10no) and Devonald took the score to 82-4 in the final over, the later caught by Hardy for 10(1x4), leaving four runs from two balls for victory, with Cockburn and Andrew Pawlett (1no) managing just a single off each ball to leave the All Whites and their supporters to make a recourse accord to celebrate their success.
On the previous evening, Monday (Jul 14) at Lawrenny, Narberth (143-9) overcame last years beaten finalists Saundersfoot (137-8) by 6 runs in a game overseen by umpires Chris Stapleton and Rob Bellerby. Shay Norcross dominated the early overs as the Barmy Army posted 46 from the first three overs, Norcross striking a six and 9 boundaries before he lost opening partner Louis Davies (3) bowled to Nicky Cope in the fourth over. Norcross avalanche continued until he was adjudged LBW to Cope for 54 (1x6;11x4) in the eighth over, on 79-2. Captain Lewis Hough (2) and Jamie McCormack (19;3x4) fell in the twelfth over, both bowled by seamer Prashant Gautam (2-22) to leave Narberth 98-4. Ben Quartamine was dismissed a run later, caught by Cope off Jon Mansbridge (1-21) without troubling scorers Richard Howell (Narberth) and Adge John (Saundersfoot) in the scorebox, wicketkeeper Kyle Williams (9) and Ben Hughes (18;4x4) taking the score to 123, Mansbridge bowling Williams, off spinner Cope returning to the frontline to bowl Hughes and Llew Jones (71x4) to finish with 4-35. The final two wickets were run outs, Jack Tucker (7) and last man Mathew Johns (1) for the innings to end on the last ball of the allocated overs for 143, a total including 11 wide ball extras.
The Saundersfoot response stated positively, the scoreboard showing 31 before the first wicket fell in the fifth over when a dominant innings from Tom Mansbridge of 23 (4x4) was ended by Louis Davies (1-26), opening partner Simon Stanford dismissed a run later, caught by McCormack for 3 off opening bowler Llew Jones (1-31).
Jon Mansbridge (18;2x4) and Cope (29; 1x6;3x4) rebuilt a platform for last season’s beaten finalists, before veteran spinner Mathew Johns joined the party to bowl Mansbridge on 89 and a run later Ben Hughes had Cope caught by Davies, which he followed up in his next over by bowling Gareth Edwards (1), the Seasiders 100-7 going into the final four overs. Jack Franklin was run out in the scramble for runs on 117-8, Johns bowling Louie Treadaway-Williams for 2 in his final over to finish with 2-27. Wicketkeeper Daniel Brace (10no) hit a six as 11 runs were scored off the penultimate over bowled by Hughes as he and skipper Yannick Parker (24no; 3x4) entered the final over needing 15 for victory. Davies bowled the over and used all his experience from a winter in Australia to concede 8 runs for the innings to close short of the target, despite 17 wide deliveries recorded.
Photos
Neyland Cricket Club
St Ishmaels Cricket Club
Herbrandston Groundsman Andy Williams
Umpires Neill Crashaw and Ian Gow
Scorers Arthur Arran and Wendy Bradshaw
Photo Gallery (click to view in full)
