Rain ruins tight finish (From Western Telegraph)

Rain ruins tight finish

Hook (151 for 9) match abandoned against Pembroke (134 for 7) Umpires: Bob Flute and Mike Harries Scorer: Joy James

Rain swept in to spoil an entertaining match as Pembroke chased Hook's score of 151 for 9, needing another 18 runs off 4.2 overs to record their first victory of the season. But they only had three wickets left so the game could have swung either way, had the bad weather not swept in and caused the only abandonment of the afternoon in the First Division.

Put in to bat by Pembroke skipper Barry Evans, Hook started well via Matthew Rowlands and Mick Haltam in an opening stand of 63 before Rowlands was well stumped by William Davies off Kevin Jenkins for 28.

Haltam has been in good form of late and he reached 53 (eight fours) before he was caught by Barry Evans off Martin Fletcher, who finished with 4 for 47 as only Jamie Phelps (33) of the other Hook batsmen looked comfortable against Gwyn Griffiths (2 for 39) and Nigel Phillips, making a welcome return to action with 2 for 26 from his allotted 12 overs of off-spin.

Pembroke lost Matthew Mitchell cheaply but steady knocks by Barry Evans (21), Paul White (29) and William Davies (29) kept Pembroke in with a chance.

Keith James had joined Gary Martin, who had conceded only 18 runs from 12 overs, as the pick of the Hook bowlers with 2 for 13 in his first two overs but he was struck for 14 in the last four balls by Gwyn Griffiths to set up a fascinating finale.

But then the rain poured - and both sides were left scenting victory that was disappointingly denied to either of them by the vagaries of the Welsh weather.