Scourfield brothers star as Carew take control (From Western Telegraph)

Scourfield brothers star as Carew take control

Carew (130 for 5 and 167 for 2) beat Llangwm (94 all out and 172 for 9)

Umpires: Mike Heritage and Dave Brandon (3rd umpire - Hilliard Davies) Scorers: Sue Phillips (Carew) and Janice Brick (Llangwm)

Carew completed the first leg of a sought-after league and cup double as they fended off the challenge of a determined Llangwm side to win the Harrison-Allen Bowl in a match which always showed what Pembrokeshire Cricket should be about, hard and highly competitive play tinged with a touch of good humour and willingness to accept decisions even when they went against you.

Skipper Darren Thomas showed current league leaders Carews intent to be positive when he won the toss and elected to bat - and it was the Scourfield brothers Rob and Nick who caught the eye in terms of individual performances as Carew built up a 36 run lead at tea and set Llangwm a target of 204 which Mark Davies boys bravely battled to reach before finishing on 172 for 9 in a run-filled match.

Rob Scourfield literally turned the game on its head in the first innings as he grabbed 6 for 25 and after big brother Nick had scored a smashing 78 not out in only 57 balls to take Carew to a score of 167 for 2, Rob added another three wickets to his superb tally to deservedly earn the man of the match award.

Yet Carews hoped-for dynamic start didnt appear as Darren Brick and Andrew Phillips bowled really well for Llangwm so that only 35 runs came from the first 11 overs, Phillips having Nick Scourfield caught by keeper William Beresford and then Martyn Inward joining the fray and grabbing the prized scalps of Ian Sefton (from a slower ball) and Barry Ansell for a duck in his second over.

Andrew Phillips also had Simon Wood caught by Beresford but unfortunately for Llangwm, Inward had to stop bowling after only two balls of his third over as he suffered a side strain and Mark Davies finished Inwards spell before Carew increased the tempo as Steve Cole scored 22 in 13 balls and then Tim Hicks (29) and Phil Jones (24) contributed a vital unbroken stand of 54 in only 26 balls, Hicks hitting four fours and Phil Jones two huge sixes and two fours as 35 runs came off the last two of the 22 overs allotted, seven of them from a no ball swatted over the scorebox by Jones as Llangwm were adjudged to have only three men inside the circle.

In contrast to Carews pedestrian start, Llangwm had two fours from Beresford in the first over and were looking good until James Owen bowled him as he sought another boundary with the score on 16.

It was the start of a superb period of pressure by the experienced Carew side as they conceded only five runs in four overs and a silly mix-up in calling resulted in Ian Gow being run out by a mile.

Owen conceded only 15 runs from his six overs and the stage was nicely set for the vastly-underrated Rob Scourfield to join the fray and cause havoc from the start as he removed George Thomas in his first over, aided by a catch from keeper Ansell.

He picked up the scalps of Andrew Harries and Mark Davies in his second over - and then removed Henry Thomas so that after three overs his figures stood at 4 for 7 and Llangwm had collapsed from 55 for 2 to 68 for 6.

Inward stroked lovely sixes over mid wicket and long-off to give Scourfield something to think about before Tim Hicks took a catch to grace any final as he ran backwards at mid-wicket and pouched the ball over his shoulder - and in an eventful spell for Wood he bowled Gary Phillips next ball!

Rob Scourfield wrapped up the innings as he bowled Andrew Phillips and Mark Hughes to finish with superb figures - and Llangwm were 36 runs adrift on the first innings and Carew were very much on the front foot.

Carew started their second innings with great freedom and openers Sefton and Nick Scourfield advanced their lead by 40 in the seventh over before Sefton lobbed a catch off Inwards bowling to Gow at mid-off having scored 17.

Simon Wood also chipped in with 15 as Nick Scourfield was in dominant mood despite not feeling 100% well, and when Wood was bowled by Brick at 82 the innings really took off, with Scourfield lofting a six to reach his 50 and hitting another one to go with eight fours in his unbeaten 78.

Steve Cole proved to be the perfect foil as he scored 38 not out, including three fours and two sixes, from only 29 deliveries.

As a result, the hundred came up in the 16th over and Carew finished with a flourish to set a daunting target for Llangwm to chase.

It says a great deal for Llangwms spirit, however, that they gave chase from the outset and although the luckless Gow had to retire with a groin strain in the fifth over with the score on 33, Mark Davies announced his intent as he lifted his first ball over mid-wicket for six, added a second huge hit and had reached 22 in 12 balls before Tim Hicks took another splendid catch at wide long-on, juggling the ball twice and racing in to his colleagues acclaim since several other catches had been spilled.

Beresford departed for 31 as Owen claimed another two wickets for Carew and Andrew Harries hit two big sixes before he departed, run out by keeper Ansells neat little throw at the stumps.

Simon Wood had an interesting over where he saw Nick Scourfield and Phil Jones down catches in successive balls but then had George and Henry Thomas out from the next two deliveries - and there was stout resistance from Gary Phillips and Inward before Darren Brick launched another three balls on the trot from Wood over the rope.

But it was all in vain as Rob Scourfield appropriately finished things off with three quick wickets to give him match superb match figures of 9 for 60 - and County Club chairman Phil Thomas was absolutely right in congratulating both sides on providing a good final before Darren Thomas took the magnificent Bowl from Huw Harrison-Allen back to Carew for the first time in a decade.

1ST INNINGS CAREW I. Sefton b M. Inward 19 N. Scourfield c W. Beresford b A. Phillips 2 S. Wood c W. Beresford b A. Phillips 19 B. Ansell b M. Inward 0 S. Cole c Sub b D. Brick 22 T. Hicks not out 29 P. Jones not out 24 Extras 15 Total (for 5 wkts) 130 Bowling: D. Brick 6-0-37-1; A. Phillips 7-0-31-2; M. Hughes 6-0-37-0; M. Inward 2.2-0-11-2; M. Davies 1.4-0-6-0.

LLANGWM W. Beresford b J. Owen 8 I. Gow run out 12 A. Harries lbw b R. Scourfield 16 G. Thomas c B. Ansell b R. Scourfield 12 M. Davies c D. Thomas b R. Scourfield 5 H. Thomas b R. Scourfield 3 G. Phillips b S. Wood 9 M. Inward c T. Hicks b S. Wood 16 D. Brick not out 2 A. Phillips b R. Scourfield 0 M. Hughes b R. Scourfield 1 Extras 10 Total (for 10 wkts) 94 Bowling: J. Owen 6-2-15-1; D. Thomas 6-1-26-1; S. Wood 5-0-21-2; R. Scourfield 5-0-24-6.

2ND INNINGS CAREW I. Sefton c I. Gow b M. Inward 17 N. Scourfield not out 78 S. Wood b D. Brick 15 S. Cole not out 38 Extras 19 Total (for 2 wkts) 167 Bowling: D. Brick 6-0-52-1; A. Phillips 6-0-43-0; M. Hughes 5-0-35-0; M. Inward 5-0-26-2.

LLANGWM W. Beresford b J. Owen 31 I. Gow not out 31 M. Davies c T. Hicks b J. Owen 22 A. harries run out 29 G. Thomas b S. Wood 20 H. Thomas b S. Wood 0 G. Phillips b S. Wood 13 M. Inward b R. Scourfield 12 D. Brick not out 24 A. Phillips lbw b R. Scourfield 0 M. Hughes b R. Scourfield 0 Extras 8 Total (for 9 wkts) 172 Bowling: J. Owen 6-0-29-2; D. Thomas 4-0-42-0; S. Wood 6-0-59-3; R. Scourfield 6-0-36-3.