Town tumble on the brink of success (From Western Telegraph)

Town tumble on the brink of success

Haverfordwest (141 for 8) beat Hook (139 all out) Umpires: Hilliard Davies and Dave Brandon Scorers: Jayne Cole and Arthur Green

Haverfordwest remain at the top of the table with one week to go, increasing their lead over Carew by a point as a result of this narrow win against Hook - but not before they faced the sternest possible test against a Hook side that was without key all-rounders Gary Martin and Alister Platten but battled until Simon Williams edged a four over slip with just two balls remaining, to the evident relief of a Town camp in which even the normally-calm scorer Jayne Cole had bitten her fingernails to the quick!

Haverfordwest captain Jonathan Twigg will surely be looking at a batting collapse that came after he was fourth out on 109 with an excellent 58. Another four wickets went down for 18 runs and it was left to vice-captain Adrian Griffiths to shore up one end with a single from 18 balls while bowler Williams lashed two fours in his 12 not out, including that last-gasp lucky boundary that came in the 46th over of the innings, Hook having been dismissed for 139 in 44 overs.

After skipper Twigg had asked opposite number Jamie Phelps to bat first, Hook sped to 50 before Phelps was bowled by off-spinner Clive Tucker for a good 30 (five fours) and opening partner Matthew Rowlands followed at the same score, adjudged lbw to Adrian Griffiths for 15.

Mick Haltham (16) and Ben Field (15) restored the balance but again Hook lost four wickets close together for only nine runs when Paul Thomas shifted Ben Field, taking a really fierce return catch, and Keith James, bowled for a duck in a 2 for 19 stint.

Steve Phillips joined the fray and was immediately successful, taking 4 for 32 as he bowled Haltham and Barry Evans, had Cliff James neatly stumped by Huw Scriven and bowled Brennan Lay for another duck. Nick Absolom hit a quick-fire 12 before hitting a skier to Karl Rhead off Simon Williams - and Tucker rounded off the innings by removing Andrew Thomas, who tickled a catch into Scrivens waiting gloves.

It left Hook with a final tally of 139, less than they might have expected at one stage, and giving The Town that one over which was to prove so influential in the final analysis.

Haverfordwest also started well as Twigg and Andrew Phillips opened with 51 runs before Phillips chipped a catch to Keith James in the covers off Matt Holder, who also bowled Richard James with a shooter soon afterwards. Andrew Thomas, who typifies Hooks spirit, bowled Phil Sutton for a single but Twigg and Rhead batted sensibly until Rhead was bowled by Keith James for 19 - and Twigg departed with seven fours to his credit when he also chipped a ball from Thomas to James at short cover. That signalled a panic button being pressed in The Town camp as James and Absolom shifted Steve Phillips, Huw Scriven and Paul Thomas in quick succession - and Hook knew they had a chance of a come-back win. But Griffiths used his wealth of experience as Williams chanced his arm at the other end - and after missing the first three balls of Absoloms final over he finally managed the vital touch that sent the ball racing to the third man fence - and the jubilation from The Town veranda showed that they knew how close they had been to tossing away the top of the table lead with just a week to go!