Llangwm avoid the dreaded drop (From Western Telegraph)

Llangwm avoid the dreaded drop

Llangwm (114 for 3) beat Hook (112 for 9) Umpires: Hilliard Davies and Trefor Evans Scorers: Jeff Saies and Arthur Green

Llangwm ensured their First Division status for next season as they won their local derby against Hook at Pill Parks, a good-all round team performance easing them to a six-wicket success with 27 balls in hand as top run-gatherer William Beresford carried his bat and George Thomas top-scored with 44 runs.

Talented youngster Chris Inward gave Llangwm a great start at Pill Parks as he had Matthew Rowlands caught by keeper Beresford for a duck with just a single on the board and after Alister Platten and Mick Haltam had put on 32 runs it was Darren Brick who struck in tandem with Gary Phillips, the pair grabbing a wicket brace apiece to reduce Hook to 68 for 5 as Brick bowled Haltam and had Martyn Thomas caught by Matthew Hughes - while Phillips shifted Platten with the aid of a neat catch by Chris Inward before bowling the Hook danger man Gary Martin for 15.

Andrew Harries then waded in with four wickets in an excellent spell and it needed Andrew Thomas to ease Hook to 112 for 9 with a late 11 not out. With so much at stake, Llangwm also made a nervy start as they lost Ian Gow with the total on 12, tthe left-hander touching a ball from Matthew Holder into Mick Haltams waiting gloves - and Andrew Harries was bowled by Andrew Thomas on 27.

But then Beresford and George Thomas settled things down in a stand of 74 before Thomas departed within sight of victory, striking a ball from Matthew Holder straight down Martin Thomass throat at mid-off having picked up seven fours and a six en route to 44.

Holder finished with 2 for 25 but it was left to Beresford and Gary Phillips to take Llangwm to victory and celebration of their survival - after a nerve-wracking few weeks recently!

HOOK A. Platten c C. Inward b G. Phillips 21 M. Rowlands c W. Beresford b C. Inward 0 M. Haltam b D. Brick 13 M. Thomas c M. Hughes b D. Brick 2 G. Martin b G. Phillips 15 M. Holder b A. Harries 4 D. Petrie c G. Phillips b A. Harries 16 C. James c D. Brick b A. Harries 2 B. Lay b A. Harries 8 A. Thomas not out 11 C. Holder not out 2 Extras 18 Total (for 9 wkts) 112 Bowling: C. Inward 5-3-3-1; D. Brick 12-3-13-2; M. Inward 5-0-26-0; A. Phillips 7-3-10-0; G. Phillips 6-1-16-2; A. Harries 7-3-19-4; M. Hughes 3-0-18-0.

LLANGWM W. Beresford not out 41 I. Gow c M. Haltam b M. Holder 3 A. Harries b A. Thomas 8 G. Thomas c M. Thomas b M. Holder 44 G. Phillips not out 2 Extras 16 Total (for 3 wkts) 114 Bowling: C. James 8-1-29-0; M. Holder 11-2-25-2; A. Thomas 12-6-23-1; G. Martin 9-3-24-0; M. Thomas 0.3-0-4-0.