Pembroke County Cricket Club (139 for 5) beat MCC (137 for 8) by 5 wickets

 
Venue: Cresselly Cricket Club
 
Umpires: Chris Stapleton and Bob Miles
Scorers: Julie Davies (Carew) and John Davies
 
Photographs: Kirsty Hannon
 
Pembroke County Cricket Club entertained the MCC for their annual match against the world-famous club and fully vindicated the selectors’ policy of playing some very experienced older players with a blend of the terrific talent that is emerging in our local game, some of whom already seem to have been playing senior cricket for a long time but are clearly benefitting from this experience against players who had travelled from as far as London and Wiltshire to play.
 
Joining skipper Sean Hannon were his Neyland colleagues Paul Murray and Ross Hardy, all 37 years of age, with Rhys Davies and James Hinchliffe (Carew) a little younger as they were joined by Tom and John Mansbridge (Saundersfoot), Charlie Arthur (Cresselly, (Charlie Malloy and Harry Nicholas (Herbrandston), all around the 20 mark, plus Oscar Lewis (Lawrenny) as the ‘baby’ of the team at 15 years young!
 
Sadly, the game was played over 25 overs per team after a delayed start because of previous rain but the MCC were soon into their stride via Zac Williams and Tom Dalton but were both removed by James Hinchliffe as he knocked them over with catches by Ross Hardy and Tom Mansbridge, a real corker which he followed with two more excellent catches at long-off and long-on to shift Omar Kolk and Steve Evison as they were getting into their stride but fell to Charlie Arthur and Rhys Davies.
 
John Lawlor proved the pick of the MCC batsman as he hit three fours and two big sixes before Oscar Lewis took another good catch in the deep as Davies ended up with a 4 for 15 spell in five overs, one of them a maiden.
 
The MCC innings ended with a reasonable, but not impossible, total, especially with their experienced bowling attack, that was led by captain/team manager Craig Barrington, leading the team for the fourth year, who removed openers Tom Mansbridge and Malloy – but with 48 runs already on the board by then.
No 3 Harry Nicolas looked perfectly at home and in a partnership with Murray put on 52 more as his mature 42 came from only 48 deliveries.
 
Murray also looked back to something like his best form as he moved to 36, with  three fours and two sixes, and although Charlie Arthur was unable to make his usual feisty contribution and Ross Hardy had to retire with a split eyebrow, the result was already pretty much assured before John Mansbridge and Rhys Davies saw Pembroke County  home with almost an over to spare.
 

SCORECARDS:

 
MCC Batting:
Zac Williams ct Tom Mansbridge b James Hinchliffe 24
Tom Dalton ct Ross Hardy b James Hinchliffe 11
Oliver Kolk ct Tom Mansbridge b Charlie Arthur 15
Steve Evison ct Tom Mansbridge b Rhys Davies 16
JJ Davies ct Paul Murray b Charlie Arthur 6
Jack Lawlor ct Oscar Lewis b Rhys Davies 40
Ben Edkins ct & b Rhys Davies 2
OJ Alsop lbw b Rhys Davies 0
Ben O’Neil not out 7
Jim Davies not out 4
Craig Barrington DNB
Extras 11
Total (8 wickets) 137
 
Pembroke County Bowling:
Oscar Lewis 4-0-26-0; James Hinchliffe 5-1-11-2; Charlie Arthur 4-0-26-2; Charlie Malloy 2-0-16-0; Rhys Davies 5-1-15-4; Ross Hardy 3-0-22-0;  John Mansbridge 2-0-14-0.
 
Pembroke County Batting:
Tom Mansbridge ct O Kolk b C Barrington 12
Charlie Malloy  ct S Evison b C Barrington 20
Harry Nicholas ct B Edkins b J Davies 42
Paul Murray b J Lawlor 36
Charlie Arthur ct B Elkins b Z Williams 2
Ross Hardy retired (not out) 8
John Mansbridge not out 2
Rhys Davies not out 4
 
Oscar Lewis DNB
James Hinchliffe DNB
Sean Hannon DNB
Extras 13
Total (5 wickets) 139
 
MCC Bowling:
 OJ Alsop 3-0-20-0; Craig Barrington 5-0-23-2; Jack Davies 4.2-0-0-24; Tom Dalton  3-0-16-0; Jack Lawlor  5-0—29-1; Zac Williams  4-0-19-1.