D.R.Morris Cup Semi Finals:

 

Herbie reach their first-ever Duggie Morris Final

 
 

Burton (91 for 7 in 20 overs) lost to Herbrandston (95 for 3 in 15.1 overs) by 7 wickets

 

Venue: The Racecourse, Haverfordwest
Umpires: Chris Staoleton and Jonathan Willington
Scorers: Robert Griffiths & Ashley Britton
 


Herbrandston were worthy winners of an absorbing semi-final clash against Burton on The Racecourse that sent them into the final of the Duggie Morris Cup Final for the first time as they bowled and fielded really well to put strong pressure on as  their opponents limped to  38 for 5 at the half-way stage of their innings – and then sped to 41 without loss after four overs as  Harry Nicholas and Charlie Malloy showed how to do it with excellent running between the wickets whilst sending anything loose to the boundary.
 
Burton never seemed to move out of first gear with their batting as Herbie defied the heat to field well, with Rhys Power and Dean John to the fore, whilst Burton seemed unable to raise the tempo with sharp singles or ones turned into two so that their early batsmen were unable to score at anywhere near a run a ball as Dean John and Harry Nicholas included a maiden in their four-over stints and their combined eight overs produced a measly 15 runs!
 
Charlie Malloy was also economical and Nathan Banner showed his worth as he defied injury to trundle his slow stuff that was far removed from the days when he was one of the fastest bowlers in the county, with his 2 for 26 spell including two mis-fields on the boundary that produced an unnecessary two boundaries.
 
Toby Hayman top-scored for Burton with 21 but the natural big hitter took 46 deliveries as he was perhaps forced by circumstances to drop anchor, and at that time his team was some-what in the mire as they stood at 47 for 5 before his brother Luke chipped in with 20 from 17 balls, including three fours before he fell to Morgan Britton – and Herbie skipper Robbie Hood had 1 for 6 off 11 balls before Martin James clouted the last delivery of the innings for a big six that helped his side to a less than convincing final tally of 91 for 7 from a team that was so strong in the batting stakes that they had all-rounder Morgan Scale witing to come in an No 11!
 
Ant doubts about the wicket were quickly dispelled as Herbie’s openers Charlie Malloy and Harry Nicholas plundered that opening stand in only 24 deliveries before Nick Jones trapped the former batsman ‘leg before’ for 13 in only nine balls but No 3 Banner, sporting a black eye from an on-field freak accident in their previous match, soon settled in and formed avital stand of 44 with Harry Nicholas that set the game firmly in their team’s favour – but with 85 on the board Matthew Davies stepped in with his canny spin bowling to shift Harry for 40 priceless runs and then his twin brother Jack first ball as he went for a big hit and Toby Hayman took a great low catch running in from the boundary.
 
There was to be no hat-trick glory for Davies as Dean belted a four from the only ball he received and it was appropriate that Banner should be there at the end, with five fours in his vital  29 not out to send his team comfortably through with 29 balls still in hand!
 
SCORECARDS:
 
Burton Batting:
Toby Hayman b Nathan Banner 21
Joe Kiff b Dean John 2
Jonathan Venables b Charlie Malloy 1
Nick Jones ct Dean John b Nathan Banner 4
Jack Davies run out 6
Luke Hayman b Morgan Britton b Morgan Britton 20
Dan Llewellyn not out 12
Dan Ridge b Robbie Hood 0
Martin James not out 12
Extras 13
Total (7 wickets) 91
 
Herbrandston Bowling:
Dean John 4-1-8-1;  Charlie Malloy 4-0-17-1; Harry Nicholas 4-1-7-0; Nathan Banner 4-0-26-2, Morgan Britton 2-0-15-1; Robbie Hood 2-0-12-1
 
Herbrandston Batting:
Harry Nicholas lbw b Matthew Davies 40
Charlie Malloy lbw b Nick Jones 13
Nathan Banner 29 not out
Jack Nicholas  ct Toby Hayman b Matthew Davies 0
Dean John not out 4
Extras 9
Total (3 wickets) 95
 
Burton Bowling:
Nick Jones 4-0-17-1; Luke Hayman 2-0-29-0 Morgan Scale 4-0-10-0; Jack Davies 3-0-21-0 Matthew Davies 1.1-0-11-2
 

 

Cresselly reach the ‘Duggie’ Final after a long absence

Cresselly (181 for 7) beat Saundersfoot (152 for 7) by 29 runs

 

 

Cresselly denied Saundersfoot the chance of a second successive DR Morris Cup Final and in doing so reached the big day at Oatfield Park, Burton, for the first time in a decade, and so still in with a chance of the coveted silverware they last won as far back as 2010.
 
In a real run-fest at Carew, Cresselly were asked to bat first and built a sizeable score that at one stage seemed likely to rocket past 200 until The Seasiders staged something of a recovery, but were always behind the required run rate, despite the efforts of Nick Cope and John Mansbridge and in the final analysis Tom Arthur’s boys were worthy winners of an absorbing clash.
 
Tom Murphy and 16 year old Griff Jenkins put on 49 for the first Cresselly wicket in only four overs, with the latter dominant as he blitzed three fours and three superb straight sixes, most off Sam Franklin, for 27 runs in only nine deliveries, but then John Mansbridge joined the attack at the Gardens’ End and bowled Griffiths – and two balls later Murphy lobbed a catch to Scott Helmich to end his innings on 20 (18 balls) including three boundaries.
 
Lewis Mason chipped in with 13 but was adjudged LBW to Nick Cope, hitting across the line, before Kyle Quartermaine and Alex Bayley forged a vital partnership of 75 which included six fours and three sixes before they fell with a run of each other, Bayley caught behind by Simon Stanford off Tom Mansbridge (38), who then took a good running return catch to dismiss the dangerous for 34.
 
Ollie Arthur, Dan James and Neilson Cole then contributed late batting cameos to leave Cresselly well-placed on 181 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, with Tom Mansbridge (4 for 26), John Mansbridge (2 for 24) and Nick Cope (1 for 21) their only bowlers able to keep any lid on the run gathering, with 101 runs flowing from the remaining eight overs!
 
Saundersfoot needed a similar start but lost Stanford for a single, caught by Dan James off teenager Griffiths before the Mansbridge boys added 37 as they rebuilded before Tom was well caught by Quartermaine off skipper Tom Arthur for 21 – and then John departed for 35 (two fours in 32 balls), neatly stumped by Neilson Cole off Jenkins, as the run-rate was well below the asking rate but had at least provided a platform for counter-attack which came when Cope and Franklin put on 56 runs in good time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 
Both benefitted from dropped boundary catches but Cope had smashed his way to 53 in only 33 balls (three fours and three huge sixes) when he tried to add another maximum off Ollie Arthur but found the safe goalkeeper’s hands of Dan James at ‘Cow Corner’.  Franklin (21, 15 balls, including a big six) was caught by Ashley Bayley off Ollie Arthur and this loss effectively ended Saundersfoot’s hopes of a late come-back as Ollie Cook and  Helmich came and went  and skipper Yannik Parker and Gareth Edwards were there at the crease as they ended up those 29 runs adrift.
 
So Cresselly will meet Herbrandston at Oatfield Park, Burton, on Sunday 19^th July, starting at 12noon and with two innings of 20 overs apiece to decide what on paper looks a fascinating contest, where Cresselly will start as slight favourites but know that Herbie are worthy opponents and also have their eyes firmly set on some welcome silverware for the club!
 
SCORECARDS:
 
Cresselly Batting:
Tom Murphy ct Scott Helmich b John Mansbridge 20
Griff Jenkins b John Mansbridge 27
Lewis Mason lbw Nick Cope 13
Kyle Quartermaine ct & B Tom Mansbridge 34
Alex Bayley ct Simon Stanford b Tom Mansbridge 38
Ollie Arthur ct John Mansbridge b Tom Mansbridge 10
Dan James ct Yannik Parker b Tom Mansbridge 11
Neilson Cole 12*
Tom Arthur 3*
Extras 13
Total (7 wickets) 181
 
Saundersfoot Bowling:
Sam Franklin 4-0-61-0, Nick Cope 4-0-26-1, John Mansbridge 4-0-24-2, Neil Pwling 2-0-15-0; Ollie Cook 2-0-25-0; Tom Mansbridge 4-0-26-4
 
Saundersfoot Batting:
Tom Mansbridge ct Kye Quartermain b Tom Arthur 21
Simon Stanford ct Dan James b Griff Jenkins 1
John Mansbridge st Neilson Cole b Griff Jenkins 35
Nick Cope ct Dan James b Tom Arther 53
Sam Franklin ct Alex Bayley b Ollie Arthur 21
Ollie Cook ct Alex Bayley b Mike Shaw
Scott Helmich b Ollie Arthur 4
Yannik Parker not out 5
Gareth Edwards not out 1
Extras 9
Total (7 wickets) 152
 
Cresselly Bowling:
Tom Arthur 4-0-34-0; Griff Jenkins 4-0-26-2; Ollie Arthur 4-0-42-2; Mike Shaw 4-0-20-0; Christian Phillips 4-0-21-0