Congratulations to Saundersfoot Cricket Club on their winning of the Pembroke County Cricket Club Division One silverware after they rounded of a fantastic season by winning the championship with two matches to go, following a campaign where the remained undefeated but were held to a tie against Neyland, where they could well have won - but more of that later, writes Bill Carne.
 
The Seasiders have shown their potential for a couple of campaigns as they lost to Lawrenny in the Harrison-Allen Bowl Final in 2024 and then in the 2025 final of the DR Morris Cup as they went down to Carew - but with their only trophy won in a final coming a long time ago when they had just been relegated to Division Three and bounced back by winning the Alan Brown Cup, beating Llechryd at Whitland!






 

Amazing story after a hole appeared in their first pitch!

 


Their story is an amazing one because they started out playing friendlies at Coppett Hall on the school pitch, which had no changing facilities, but then a collapsed culvert brought an abrupt halt until 1979, when a meeting in the British Legion Club in the town saw the club reformed and playing friendlies against anyone who would accommodate them on Saturdays or Sundays.
 
Saundersfoot applied to join the league on 1980 and started out in the lowest division on their current pitch at the King George Vth ground, changing in a garage built to fit one car at the back of the sports club, which meant two teams changing in very tight conditions, which was also used by the local football team in the winter months.








 

Moved through the divisions on their climb up the leagues

 



Saundersfoot won that section and eventually moved through as winners of all the other divisions, other than the second division, where they were runners-up - and gradually moved through to the top echelon and after a spell of consolidation now has a very strong team, with no real weaknesses.
 
That team included players like Chris Parker. Roger Stanford, Cliff Jones, Steve Williams and his father Carwyn, plus wicket-keeper Newman Vincent. Roger and Chris are the only founder members involved now, with Chris joining Paul Mansbridge as groundsman who have dramatically increased the ground’s stature to become one of the best in the county.
 
Roger has had a number of roles, including long-time  secretary (still going after 40+ years), steward of the Sports Club (29 years with wife Barbara), plus the fact he has been deservedly honoured with the presidency - but he still scores for the second team when needed and is involved with the club’s ladies’ team by scoring for them!



 

Catering for youth as well as the old timers

 
Eventually the club formed a second team which is still going strong and aims to provide talented youngsters as the next generation of first-team players and one outstanding success is the fact that 15-year-old Ollie Cook, whose dad Steve has given yeoman service, has played for the firsts all season and is now the proud owner of a division one winners’ medal in his mid-teens!
 
As well as Chris understandably being proud of son Yannik’s role as captain, the others heavily involved also have sons playing; with Paul Mansbridge’s sons Tom and John heavily involved as all rounders, and with Roger’s son Simon able to hit the ball many a mile and a threat to any team when he gets going.




 

Great support from a superb scorer

 




And one of the best-known and highly respected members of the group is undoubtedly scorer Adge John, who won a Harrison-Allen Bowl medal with Kilgetty, where he was a good wicket-keeper batsman- and started out scoring for the Seasiders when he and wife Libby moved to the town
 
Adge is an old-fashioned, no-nonsense scorer who thought he would have to step down after 14 years with his sight problems but has been given a new lease of life in cricket terms after a new operation has extended his time in the scorebox - hence the players’ delight that he was there with them to celebrate this wonderful achievement.




 

So how has this amazing season unfolded?

 


The Seasiders served notice of intent when they opened their campaign by beating Cresselly by seven wickets after Prashant Gautam, Tudor Hurle and John Mansbridge share six wickets and then Simon Stanford belted a typical 63 and Nick Cope guided them home
 
Their second start, against Neyland, ended at tea after Cope (78) took them to a big score as Tom Mansbridge added runs before the rain came - and then they won by 5 wickets at Tish as they chased down 144 as Prashant, Nick and Neil Powling did the damage with the ball before Sam Franklin blitzed a splendid 103 not out.
 
More rain came in their next match after they had reduced Herbie to 59 for 5 - but it was back to winning ways at Whitland, with  John and Tom Mansbridge the architects as John stroked 120 and Tom had a half century before The Borderers struggled against Steve Joseph and Nick Cope.



 

Tough tussle against Narberth but then a major boast as The Rooks were blown away

 

The match against Narberth was tougher as they won by 35 runs after batting first and reaching 221 (Danny Caine 67) before Ollie Cook was involved with the ball.
 
Then came the major boost to their confidence that they needed as they scored 208 for 4 at Carew as Simon Stanford seemed assured of three figures but got himself run out on 98. Nick Cope chipped in with 60 and then grabbed a splendid 4 for 7 as The Rooks were blown away for only 83 runs.
 
Lawrenny also pushed Saundersfoot all the way before losing by two wickets as Tom Mansbridge grabbed five wickets alongside two by Neil Powling - and then Tom took them home by that narrow margin, with help from teenager Ollie!

 

Easy against Burton and then a vital second victory against The Doves

 

The final match of the first half of the season, against Burton, was far easier as Tom again scored well with 86 in a total of 219 for 6 before Ollie Cook and Matthew ‘Hammer’ Phillips shared six wickets in a win by  145 runs.
 
At this stage Saundersfoot were beginning to be talked about as possible contenders and they started well be winning at Cresselly, albeit by two wickets after Ollie’s three wickets helped limit The Doves to 144 all out and then Scott Helmich stepped in with some late runs after The Seasiders looked shaky.





 

A crazy tie with Neyland – and then back to business by beating Tish

 

Then came that tense tie as Neyland reached 207 (three more wickets for Master Cook!) before Tom and Sam took them to a position where six runs were needed off the final over. Four singles were followed by a total air-shot from someone who is capable of big hits, but not on this occasion, and Neyland repaid the debt with an uncharacteristic error on ball No 6 and a scrambled single saw both teams having to settle for a share of The spoils!
 
But it was back to business the next week as Saundersfoot slammed a massive 273 against Tish Tom Mansbridge 139 and brother John 47) before Matthew Phillips grabbed four wickets to help ease Saundersfoot home by 99 runs!

 

John Mansbridge in fantastic form

 

‘The Hammer’ was at it again the following week with another four-timer as Herbrandston built a sizeable score of 179 but The Seasiders lost only five wickets en route to a vital victory where John Mansbridge led the way with a cracking undefeated 86 and was the key player in a five-wicket win.
 
Saundersfoot then entertained basement battlers and John Mansbridge stroked an unbeaten century and Simon Stanford provided the necessary support with the bat before Sam Franklin’s four wickets saw them to a 66-run success.
 
There was another big score against Narberth after Tom and John (who else?) helped them to 249 for 4 before they shared five wickets and others fell to Tudor Hurle, who bowled really well.

 

Carew crash as Seasiders sense silverware

 

Suddenly, the run-in to the silverware loomed with what was virtually a decider against second-placed Carew where Saundersfoot were seeking a league double, which they won by a massive margin of 95 runs. The Seasiders amassed 260 for 4 as Tom Mansbridge blasted a fantastic 129 not out, with support again from Simon S and then Tom completed as memorable day as he shared six wickets with Sam F.
 
The title was already won but confirmed as they beat Lawrenny by 112 runs and again Tom Mansbridge, with the small matter 112 not out helped his team reach 223 for 6 with the assistance of Nick Cope (42) - and then brother  John helped shoot out the opposition out for 111, with Ollie Cook continuing a season to remember  with fine figures of 3 for 16.

 

Finished in style at Oatfield Park

 

That just left Burton to overcome to maintain their proud unbeaten record in the league and as play started at Oatfield Park some consideration was given to whether Tom Mansbridge could score the necessary 92 runs to take him to the magic thousand in league cricket - and the answer was delivered within the first over as  he was dismissed for a duck!
 
But brother John (72), Simon Stanford ( 38), Sam Franklin (51) and Danny Caine (41 not out) were the main contributors to their 268 for 8 but Danny Brace was another regular behind the stumps as an unsung hero alongside Gareth Edwards, who played at short notice with his usual zest before Burton did well to battle their way  to 192 all out.
 
But it was Saundersfoot who broke local cricket’s mould with their first-ever win of the silverware, claimed undoubtedly by the best team in the county for 2026 - and there was a lot of positivity  shown around the county at their deserved success!