Town claim championship in style (From Western Telegraph)

Town claim championship in style

Cresselly (57 all out) lost to Haverfordwest (181 for 6) Umpires: Barry Wood and Bob Flute Scorers: Dave Richards and Jayne Cole

Superb bowling spells by Simon Williams and Adrian Griffiths, assisted by six catches from keeper Huw Scriven, saw Haverfordwest beat Cresselly by 124 runs to become Pembrokeshire champions for 2002.

Leading the way in the batting stakes for The Town on a pitch that was never easy were teenager Richard James and Phil Sutton, after skipper Jonathan Twigg, the key run gatherer all season, had departed to the very first ball of the game!

Twigg caught a leading edge as he tried to play James Caine through mid-wicket and was caught off a skier at mid-off by Steffan Jenkins - and Andrew Phillips departed with the score on 46 as he looped a top-edge to first slip Simon Hart off the bowling of Jenkins.

But Sutton and James batted well until both departed on 85, James the first to go as he chipped Jenkins straight to Phil Williams in the gully having stroked five fours in his 37, and Sutton fooled by a yorker from James Caine just a run short of a half century and with five boundaries and a six to his name.

Stephen Jenkins, one of a number of talented youngsters in skipper Richard Harris care, also had Karl Rhead superbly caught one-handed by slip Hart for a duck and had Paul Thomas caught at long-off by Richards just when the all-rounder looked likely to unleash an assault.

At 130 for 6 Tthe Town were reasonably satisfied but their tally was boosted by an unbroken stand of 51 in only 21 minutes from Steve Phillips (two fours and a six in his 32) and Adrian Griffiths that took the final target to a demanding one for Cresselly.

It suddenly assumed gargantuan proportions after tea, however, as Simon Williams took the new ball and was virtually unplayable as he reduced Cresselly to 11 for 5 with the assistance of Paul Thomas, who forced Phil Williams to fend a lifter straight to Simon Williams in the slip cordon.

Williams made the ball move and lift so well that he had the key wickets of Richard Harris, Julian and Damian Arthur, plus Lyn Richards, all pouched by delighted keeper Huw Scriven as he proved unplayable.

Ryan Lewis managed a temporary counter-offensive as he struck a straight six and two fours in a speedy 21 but then played on a ball from Williams to give the young Haverfordwest bowler a 5 for 14 analysis in ten overs.

Simon Hart played stoically as he faced 30 balls before he opened his account and Mark Harris batted sensibly for his unbeaten 14 but then Town vice-captain Adrian Griffiths joined the fray and also utilised the conditions really well as he mopped up the tail to claim figures of 4 for 5 in only four overs, Scriven catching the last two batsmen to give him six victims behind the stumps.

The league champions trophy was presented to Jonathan Twigg by County Club president Cyril Venables and it completed a club treble for Haverfordwest since they had won the Duggie Morris Cup the previous week and their seconds had already pocketed the Alec Colley Cup.

HAVERFORDWEST J. Twigg c S. Jenkins b J. Caine 0 A. Phillips c S. Hart b R. Harris 14 R. James c P. Williams b S. Jenkins 37 P. Sutton b J. Caine 49 K. Rhead c S. Hart b S. Jenkins 0 P. Thomas c L. Richards b S. Jenkins 11 S. Phillips not out 32 A. Griffiths not out 19 Extras 19 Total (for 6 wkts) 181 Bowling: J. Caine 12-1-38-2; M. Harris 7-2-28-0; R. Harris 12-1-37-1; L. Richards 8-2-42-0; S. Jenkins 6-0-25-3.

CRESSELLY J. Arthur c H. Scriven b S. Williams 4 R. Harris c H. Scriven b S. Williams 2 D. Arthur c H. Scriven b S. Williams 1 L. Richards c H. Scriven b S. Williams 0 P. Williams c S. Williams b P. Thomas 0 R. Lewis b S. Williams 21 S. Hart b A. Griffiths 5 M. Harris not out 14 N. Cole lbw b A. Griffiths 0 J. Caine c H. Scriven b A. Griffiths 2 S. Jenkins c H. Scriven b A. Griffiths 0 Extras 8 Total (for 10 wkts) 57 Bowling: P. Thomas 8-3-25-1; S. Williams 10-4-14-5; C. Tucker 3-3-0-0; S. Phillips 4-0-6-0; A. Griffiths 4-0-5-4.