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 Cresselly and Neyland will do battle in this season’s Harrison-Allen Bowl Final after the former club comfortably beat Lawrenny and the latter caused the biggest upset for a while in the competition as they disposed of current Bowl holders Carew despite fielding something of a makeshift side.
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It means that Cresselly will start as hot favourites at local bookmakers, not least because they have home advantage but because of their huge edge in experience because they have a squad whose combined Bowl Final appearances tally adds up to 42 whilst Neyland don’t have a single player who has played in a previous final!
Not clear cut
But there are those pundits who might say that this could work in Neyland’s favour because there is a real hunger for success in the camp, as they proved in dumping out Haverfordwest and then Carew to reach their big day. It was certainly so in the semi-final because skipper Andrew Miller won the toss, elected to bat and his team managed to win against the odds, especially since they had key players like Jeremy Charles, Sean Hannon and Henry Durrant unavailable.
Miller is a key figure in Neyland’s hopes, although it is unfair to saddle him with too much expectation because he has been brilliant all season and is unarguably the current best player in Pembrokeshire as well as being a resourceful captain. It would be quite wrong to describe Neyland as something of a ‘one man band’ because there are some very good players around him – and an energy in the field which is symbolised by brother Gregg and followed by the rest.
Cresselly have huge batting power
Try telling Cresselly that they are hot favourites and you would receive short shrift from skipper Simon Cole because he will be making sure that his team don’t make the mistake of thinking they are home and dry. But there is no doubt that he has a vast array of batting talent at his disposal which is a real plus, with Cole himself as one of the top three stroke-makers in the county. Phil Williams, Andrew Harris and James Venables will vie for the openers’ berths whilst Adam Chandler, Julian Arthur, Damian Arthur, Ryan Lewis and Lyn Richards can all score quick runs. They bat right down since keeper Neilson Cole and fast bowler Stefan Jenkins are no mugs either, whilst Richard Harris could be at 10 or 11 when he once opened for Wales!
Neyland have their key players too
Neyland have good stroke makers in Miller and his brother Gregg, Paul Murray and Scott John, with Nick Kooman, Jeremy Charles, Ashley Sutton and especially Phil Davies in support but there isn’t quite the strength in depth that Cresselly have, although the Hannon twins and Henry Durrant might prove me wrong.
But the Neyland supporters might say that they have the greater variety in bowling since Patrick Hannon is a good containing right-armer alongside Ashley Sutton, whilst Henry Durrant can bowl his left-arm stuff to good effect. It is in the slow-bowling department that Neyland have real variety because Phil Davies is an excellent off-spinner whilst Andrew Miller is the top wicket-taker in the county at present – and Scott John can also turn to some slow stuff. The most tantalising aspect is whether 47 year old Gary Lloyd gets the nod after being called out of retirement for the semi-final – who would be a selector?
Cresselly bowling lacks real pace
Cresselly know that if they have a weakness it is the fact that, Stefan Jenkins apart, they lack real pace in their bowling, although former skipper Lyn Richards has done an admirable job this season as Jenkins’ partner. Ryan Lewis and Simon Cole are useful slow bowlers but it could be the fact that their key bowler could be Richard Harris, at 51 the oldest player in the final but still a potent force in the team. He grabbed five wickets in the semi-final against Lawrenny and will give it 100% in the final, as he always does.
Both sides are very active in the field, although Neyland believe they hold an edge in this area, with good young keepers in Neilson Cole and Sean Hannon balancing each other out behind the stumps. It all adds up to an absorbing clash between experience and raw optimism and belief so it is to be hoped that a good crowd turn out to watch it.
I firmly believe that Cresselly will be just too strong batting-wise for Neyland but Andrew Miller and Co have proved me wrong in the quarter and semi-finals – so I won’t be too upset if I have to admit I was wrong again next Sunday morning.
. . Pen-Picture Line-Ups of Cresselly C. C. and Neyland C. C.
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