Alec Colley Cup Final:

Whitland 2nds (130 for 7 & 156 for 5) beat Carew 2nds (129 for 7 & 127 for 8) by 30 runs

After a very even first innings Whitland Seconds went in to tea at Treleet just one run in front of a young Carew side but really put their far greater experience to good effect in the second half of an absorbing and entertaining clash played in an excellent spirit throughout.

They amassed a huge total of 156 for 5 and although Carew tried hard to maintain a run rate that would put them in with a chance of success the pressure, allied to some good fielding and tight bowling, saw Whitland retain the trophy they had also won the previous campaign.

Amazingly, Whitland managed to win despite the fact that in the two innings they conceded a total of 64 extras, 48 of them from wides – and there was an interesting moment in the Carew first innings where the ball appeared to pass through the gap between two of the stumps!

Batting first, Whitland lost three early wickets but Jonathan Thomas produced a classy 42 alongside Wayne Jones (15) before Wayne Howells’ big late hitting of 28 runs advanced them to 130 for 7 wickets despite two wickets apiece from Joel Read, Iori Hicks and Harry Cook, plus one from Max Brindley in a youthful Carew attack.

Carew’s reply got off to a poor start as only Luke Hicks (11) managed double figures in their top five batsmen before Chris Cole (28) and Jacob Knox (31) batted well until Knox was run out and Cole was bowled by Wayne Howells as part of his two-wicket spell alongside Geraint Phillips, with a wicket apiece from Wayne Jones and Jonathan Thomas.

Whitland’s second innings got off to a much better beginning as Nathan Evans (10) and Martin Thomas (19) chipped in a few runs as Dylan Blain and Jonathan Thomas rapped four fours and a six each in respective scores of 48 and 50. Dan Newton was run out on 11 but Whitland’s finally tally of 156 for 5 ensured Carew would have to bat really well to have any chance of winning!

But Jonathan Thomas soon had them in deep trouble with his canny slow stuff allied to Geraint Phillips’ pace and the only thing that kept Carew hoping for a reprieve was Whitland’s seeming determination to gift them runs as they limped to 87 for 8 thanks to ‘Mr Extras’.

Harry Cook (20 not out) and Dan Edwards (18 not out) made sure that their unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 40 made sure there was a deserved respectability in Carew’s final total and although they finished 31 runs short of success they certainly played their part in a well-supported final on a Treleet Ground that really was a credit to Pembroke Cricket Club’s hard work during the week beforehand.

Jonathan Thomas (Whitland) was the obvious choice as man of the match for his 92 runs and six wickets conceded for only 34 runs, with Wayne Howells staking a claim for the best catch of the day as the Whitland old-timer caught Luke Hicks on the boundary in Carew’s second innings!

SCORECARD:

First Innings:

Whitland 2nds Batting:

Dylan Blain ct Luke Hicks b Joel Read 8

Nathan Evans b Max Brindley 3

Jonathan Thomas ct Max Brindley b Harry Cook 42

Martin Thomas b Joel Read 7

Dan Newton b Iori Hicks 8

Wayne Jones ct Dan Edwards b Harry Cook 15

Geraint Phillips b Iori Hicks 2

Wayne Howells not out 26

Che Thomas not out 1

Extras 18

Total (7 wickets) 130

Carew 2nds Bowling:

Joel Read 5-0-25-2; Max Brindley 5-0-26-1; Iori Hicks 5-0-39-2; Harry Cook 5-0-34-2

Carew 2nds Batting:

Haydn Shapcott lbw b Geraint Phillips 2

Daf Bevan ct Geraint Phillips b Wayne Howells 4

Max Brindley b Wayne Howells 0

Luke Hicks b Jonathan Thomas 11

Dai Rees ct Martin Thomas b Geraint Phillips 1

Chris Cole b Wayne Jones 28

Jacob Knox run out 31

Joel Read not out 14

Harry Cook not out 2

Extras 36

Total (7 wickets) 129

Whitland 2nds Bowling:

Wayne Howells 5-0-37-2; Geraint Phillips 5-0-35-2; Wayne Jones 5-0-36-1; Jonathan Thomas 5-0-14-1

Second Innings:

Whitland 2nds Batting:

Dylan Blain st Dafydd Bevan b Dan Edwards 48

Nathan Evans ct Luke Hicks b Joel Read 10

Jonathan Thomas ct Haydn Shapcott b Dan Edwards 50

Martin Thomas lbw b Dan Edwards 19

Dan Newton run out 11

Geraint Phillips not out 6

Wayne Jones not out 0

Extras 12

Total (5 wickets) 156

Carew 2nds Bowling:

Joel Read 5-0-30-1; Max Brindley 5-0-33-0; Iori Hicks 2-0-27-0; Harry Cook 5-0-36-0; Dan Edwards 3-0-27-3

Carew 2nds Batting:

Haydn Shapcott b Jonathan Thomas 9

Dafydd Bevan ct Dan Newton b Geraint Phillips 6

Max Brindley ct James Thomas b Jonathan Thomas 17

Luke Hicks ct Wayne Howells b Wayne Jones 9

Dai Rees b Jonathan Thomas 8

Chris Cole ct Martin Thomas b Jonathan Thomas 9

Jacob Knox run out 3

Joel Read lbw b Jonathan Thomas 0

Harry Cook not out 20

Dan Edwards not out 18

Extras 28

Total (8 wickets) 127

Whitland 2nds Bowling:

Wayne Howells 5-0-39-0; Geraint Phillips 5-0-30-1; Wayne Jones 5-0-31-1; Jonathan Thomas 5-0-22-5

Umpires: Arthur Brady & Dai Morris

Scorers: Ann-Marie Jenkins & Scott Richards

Scoreboard manipulator: Rob Benjamin

Venue: Treleet, Pembroke

Man of the Match: Jonathan Thomas (Whitland)