DR Morris Cup Round One: St Ishmaels (161-4) lost to Haverfordwest (163-5) by 2 runs

AN exciting DR Morris Cup tie went the way of Haverfordwest last night as they edged out home side St Ishmaels by just two runs.

Asked to bat first, The Town posted 163-5 thanks to an unbeaten 82 from Ben Field - but Tish made a real fist of their reply, entering the final over needing 15 for victory.

Andrew Williams seemingly took them to the brink when he then hit two sixes off Kieran O'Connor, before he was stumped by Huw Scriven going for another big hit.

It left Tish needing two off the final ball for a tie, but Brennan Devonald was run out as Danny Potter's men edged into round two.

After two days of heavy rain, the game began in perfect evening conditions, and Haverfordwest opener Archie Thomas struck a maximum in the third over before being bowled three balls later by Jonathan Pawlett for a brisk 18.

That meant Simon Holliday joined Ben Field at the crease, and the pair took The Town to 52-1 before Holliday was bowled by a Brennan Devonald yorker for 8.

Tish then turned the screw and Andrew Pawlett delivered back to back maidens, whilst in-between Devonald got his second victim when he skittled Haverfordwest skipper Potter for a duck.

After 11 overs, the visitors were struggling on 57-3, and Field and Kieran O'Connor added 21 together before the latter was run out after a mix up in the 14th over.

But at 78-4, it was then that Field took command, hammering a six off Jonathan Pawlett before launching a brutal assault.

Field and partner Nigel Delaney added 63 in the last four overs, although the former was crucially dropped on the boundary in the 17th over by Andrew Pawlett off Andrew Palmer's bowling.

He took full advantage by taking 22 off Andrew Williams 18th over, including a maximum, and then smashed three more sixes off Palmer as The Town added another 23 in the 19th.

In the final over, Field again punished Williams with his sixth maximum, to go with two earlier fours, as he finished 82 not out.

Delaney meanwhile, contributed a useful 16 before being ran out from the final ball.

For Tish, Devonald finished with 2-19 and Jonathan Pawlett 1-35 alongside the two run outs - but what ultimately cost Peter Bradshaw's men dear was the concession of 29 extras, including 25 wides.

The home side's reply had a nervy start as Danny Howells was dropped by Ashley James off O'Connor's bowling in the first over - and the opener then survived a run out scare.

But Howells soon launched O'Connor for a big six, and he and Jonathan Pawlett took the score to 36-0 in the sixth over, before Howells gave a return catch to Clive Tucker for 21.

Phill Cockburn then joined Pawlett, and the latter hit three sixes and two fours to put Tish in a winning position at 107-1 after 14 overs.

But Pawlett was then bowled by O'Connor for 53, and Cockburn was joined by Williams in taking Tish to 138-2 off 18 overs, needing 26 to win off 12 balls.

They got 11 of them off Thomas' 19th over, as Williams struck a six followed by the pair sharing five singles.

O'Connor began the vital last over with a dot ball, before Williams launched successive sixes meaning his side needed just three off three balls to win.

But the youngster held his nerve with another dot before having Williams stumped by Scriven for 35 (four sixes).

And Devonald wasn't able to get the last ball of the innings away and was run out pushing for an unlikely single - leaving Cockburn stranded on 41 not out (five fours).

For The Town, O'Connor finished with 2-36 and Tucker 1-24 off the final ball run out.

Tish were sponsored by The Brook Inn.