SECOND DIVISION STARTS WITH A BANG

 
Umpires: Chris Stapleton & Neill Crawshaw
 
The first matches in the 2025/26 indoor cricket season began at The Neyland Community Hub with three entertaining fixtures in the second division where Haverfordwest Lightning held off a strong challenge from Herbrandston B, St Ishmaels made a welcome return to indoor cricket with a mix of extreme youth and some great old timers to beat the Pembroke Seniors  B string – and Carew marked their first-ever indoor game with a win over Neyland B.








 

Match One: Haverfordwest Lightning  (100 all out) beat Herbrandston B (96 all out) by 4 runs

 
Haverfordwest Lightning skipper Mark Davies and Dr Syed Bakhari led their team to victory over a Herbrandston team that was able to field a very young side that was led by experienced skipper Johnny ‘Bap’ Lewis, who has done so well to lose a massive amount of weight that has enabled him to return alongside his son Dillon and four other teenagers.  Davies had two sixes in his 25 before he was eventually run out – and Bakhari was in fine fettle as he blasted two fours and two sixes before he was bowled by Charlie Malloy for 36.
 
Another doctor in Doug Johnston his a six in his 21 before he was also run out and The Lightning reached three figures after a slow start where they lost Jack Peters (run out without scoring) and Jason Stobbs (caught by Malloy off Atticus Kingston for 6).
 
Herbie lost ‘guest player’ Jack Badham, run out for 2 but then their two most experienced players in Charlie Malloy and Johnny Lewis enjoyed an interesting period as Malloy was dropped four times early on before ending up with four and two sixes in his 26 – and his skipper huffed and puffed his way to 32 from 18 deliveries, (including two fours and a six) edged to keeper Stobbs off Johnston.
 
Kingston departed early and it was left to Dillon Lewis and Leon Hood to try and take Herbie home, with Dillon playing a couple of cracking shots before he was bowled by the effervescent Davies, and Leon doing the same but not quite able to take his team to victory on his indoor debut at just 13 years of age, despite 17 extras – but these are two young players to watch for in the future!


















 

Match Two: Pembroke Seniors B (91 all out) lost to St Ishmaels  (95 for 3) by 3 wickets

 
St Ishmaels were forced to play Welsh Seniors players Karl Rhead, Huw Scriven and Kevin Bowen because of player unavailability but all three showed touches of class against youngsters Cayden McGuire and 12 year old Maddoc Bradshaw – and it proved a potent mix since they win with 15 balls in hand.
 
The Seniors have all played the indoor game for some time but showed little proof of that as three of them were run out for a combined tally of four runs – and it was left to opener Phil Keen (of Neyland fame) to reach a terrific half century before he was finally removed from a catch by Lenny Rees off Bowen’s accurate stuff.
 
Mark Evans (11) chipped in alongside gritty tail ender Rod Murphy (14) and ‘Mr Extras’ (12) as they eventually reached 91 but having left a couple of overs unused.
 
Then Rhead, trying his leg out after an operation sidelined him last season, stroked two sixes in his undefeated 25 and another talented teenager in Cayden MacGuire got them off to a blistering start with three fours and two sixes in his 28 not out that helped Tish off to a terrific start before Huw Scriven (who had been lightning quick with two victims behind the stumps) chipped in with 19 but ran poor young Maddox out like a dog!
 
It was left to Kevin Bowen to apply the coup de grace with  a speedy 20 not out, finishing the game in style with a six and a four as Mike Williams (2 for 22) was the pick of the Seniors’ bowling.















 

Match Three:  Neyland B (74 for 5) lost to Carew (75 for 5)

 
There was a tight finish in the match between  Neyland B and Carew as the B team struggled their way to a score that was sill disappointing but pushed The Rooks all the way so that only Scott Richards’ terrific innings stood between the teams at the end.
 
Neyland B skipper Lewis Page used his experience to good effect before he was adjudged lbw to Ethan Hall and he had early support from Ethan Roberts (11) and then from another ‘old-timer’ in John Tennick (17 not out). There were also 11 extras but a final tally  74 for 5 wasn’t expected to push Carew all the way, as it did when their lack of experience showed.
 
Noah Davies,  Ethan and Corey Hall all got started but then got out, with Scott Richards batting really well before he retired – but was soon back in action as Rhys Lewis and veteran keeper Haydn Shapcott also  came and went.
 
There were  12 extras and Richards  finally saw the relieved Rooks past the winning post with his match-winning 38 not out!