Phil scores runs and Paul pockets wickets

8:28am Wednesday 9th July 2008

With league fixtures in Pembrokeshire Cricket already at the halfway stage in the 2008 season, Whitland's Paul and Janice Webb have again compiled statistics for the first half of the campaign and they produce, as usual, some interesting insights into our local game.

Not least is the fact that veteran slow bowler Webb is top of the bowling charts for the first time, as is talented batsman Phil Williams (Cresselly) who has been in superb fettle and can boast an average of 57 runs per match so far.

Webb has always been in the top five or so batsmen before and hovers a little lower in the bowling but this season has seen him grab 20 wickets to stay two victims clear of fellow spin bowler Nick Dyer, the Haverfordwest skipper.

Head teacher Nick is level on 18 wickets with Town team mate Dai Davies, another surprise inclusion, by dint of the fact that his average runs per wicket is lower.

Carew's star pair Tim Hicks and Simon Wood are fourth and fifth respectively with 16 wickets, chased on the same total by Ian Hughes.

Williams, formerly with Hundleton as a youngster but now firmly placed as a key run-gatherer with Cresselly, has a top score of 102 not out and stroked 342 runs in only seven innings, with two fifties alongside his undefeated ton'.

Will Beresford (Llangwm) is in second spot with a top score of 112 not out and 284 runs from eight innings while Danny Potter (Haverfordwest) is in third place after leading at the half way mark last season. Potts' has 268 runs in seven innings but is without a century yet, and Jonathan Pawlett (St Ishmaels) is the only non-opener in the top five. Paul Murray (Neyland) is fifth, these two having respective three-figure scores of 115 and 122.

A surprising feature of the statistics is the fact that Cresselly have no bowlers in the top 20 alongside Lawrenny, while Narberth don't have a batsman in the top 20 either.

Carew top the batting in terms of numbers in the section as Brian Hall, Nick Scourfield, Wood and Wayne Cannon are featured, closely followed by Haverfordwest and champions St Ishmaels, who lead the bowling with five players involved.

Aussie Stewart Kimpton having the best individual figures with his seven for 17 haul against Lawrenny in their last match.

He is joined by James and Andrew Salter, Andrew Williams and Andrew Palmer, with Haverfordwest (Dyer, Davies, Phil Kirkby and Clive Tucker), plus Llangwm (Andrew Brock, Darren Brick, Chris Inward and Richard Brock) just behind with four apiece.

Burton's only contributor in either is James Venables, who is eighth in the batting and 14th in the bowling.

There are only two all-rounders able to make the grade in both sections, with Carew's Mr Reliable' Simon Wood claiming the right to be currently considered as top all-rounder with fifth in the bowling backed up by 12th in the batting.

Andrew Salter continues to shine, despite being so young, with 12th in the bowling and 17th in the batting.

There have already been some wonderful individual performances and positions are sure to change by the end of the 2008 campaign, when Telegraph Sport, with Janice and Paul's help, bring you the final statistics for cricket anoraks.