2024 Harrison-Allen  Bowl Final:

 
 

Saundersfoot (118 for 7 & 132 for 7) lost to Lawrenny (133 for 6 & 121 for 5) by 5 wickets

 
Umpires: Rob Bellerby & David Bonner
Scorers: Adge John & Malcolm Thomas
Scoreboard and Local Media: Rhys Richards
‘Play Cricket’ technician: Peter Betteley
Announcer Richard Merriman
 
Venue: Cresselly Cricket Club
Ground Staff: Richard Arthur, Denis Chiffi; Glyn Cole and George Richards
 
Man of the Match: Thomas Cole (Lawrenny)
Adjudicators: Dai Davies (Llangwm) & Martin Jones (Neyland)
 
Lawrenny won the Harrison-Allen Bowl for the second time in their history in a tense final against final first-timers Saundersfoot in a match which where fortunes ebbed and flowed which was never a classic but an eminently watchable 85.5 overs before the result was reached with 13 balls left.
 
It meant sheer joy for Ryan Morton, his team and their huge band of supporters from such a small village, but inevitably despair for the equally exuberant followers and players from the seaside who gave their all but never really scaled the batting heights of which they were capable.
 
Perhaps it was the fact that key players Danny Caine and Sam Franklin played whilst carrying injuries which meant that Caine in particular was missed as a bowler and neither really reached the heights with the bat.
 
But that takes nothing away from Lawrenny’s win in which Rob Williams was magnificent bowling with the flair that someone half his 48 years would be proud of and must be a great inspiration for talented youngsters like teenagers Fin and Oscar Lewis – and some mighty six-hitting from Thomas Cole which rightly earned him the man of the match award, presented by Mrs Joyce Thomas, awarded annually in memory of her late father John, a great Cresselly man.
 
There was also some moving moments, like before the start when Saundersfoot scorer Adge John was given a guard of honour by his players as he walked onto the pitch – and after the match when the Lawrenny squad shared their joy with Steve Lewis, who would have been playing alongside his sons Fin and  Oscar but for a debilitating hand injury which seems to have ended his career
 

Seasiders struggle from the start

 
Expectations were that high scores could be the order of the day but that was quickly dispelled as Ryan Morton won the toss and asked opposite number Yannic Parker to bat – and after six overs they had lurched to 11 for 3 as the unavoidable touch of dampness in the wicket after so much midweek rain saw Rob Williams race up the slope to shift Tom Mansbridge and Sam Franklin, whilst at the other end 15 year old Oscar Lewis removed Danny Caine.
 
Then Nick Cope and John Mansbridge steadied the ship, as they had done in the semi-final against Llangwm,  although the Saundersfoot score didn’t reach 50 until 14.3 overs. But they mastered the conditions, adding 83 runs before Oscar Lewis removed Cope for a splendid 47, with five massive sixes, including one that damaged a car’s bonnet, as he was caught by Troy Purslowe going for another attempt at sending the ball out of the ground.
 
Morton soon shifted Simon Stanford and Danny Brace in the inevitable chase for late runs caused the downfall of John Mansbridge, whose 36 runs included four fours and a six before Rob Williams took a catch off Purslowe’s bowling.
 
A final tally of 118 for 7 reflected how hard it hard been for The Seasiders to make headway as Rob Williams headed the Lawrenny attack with a miserly 2 for 15 from six overs, including a rare maiden in this form of cricket, ably assisted by Oscar Lewis and Morton.
 

Lawrenny also battle for momentum but Cole finishes in style

 
Lawrenny also found it hard going early on and their 50 came up half way through their allotted overs whilst losing Will Allen, Troy Purslowe and Wil Nicholas, who looked the pick of their early batsman until he was one of three batsmen caught by Scott Helmich, with three fours to his name. Harry Thomas fulfilled his role as anchor man but after Morton was run out by Simon Stanford he also departed for 40, also with three boundaries, it left Lawrenny on 96 for 5 with time running out.
 
Joe Kidney and Rhys Eynon were also run out as a bit of panic set in, so that with an over to go they were still eight runs adrift of their opposition and hoping perhaps to at least gain parity for the tea interval.
 
But that is where Thomas Cole stepped in and showed why he is renowned for his ability to hit sixes. Tom Mansbridge was the unfortunate bowler as Cole launched three mighty maximums, two of them out of the ground, and 23 runs accrued which gave his side an interval lead of 15 runs, very useful indeed in the circumstances.
 

Saundersfoot still struggle with a revamped batting order until Parker intervenes

 
Saundersfoot got off to a better second-innings start as their ‘walking wounded’ were held back and Tom Mansbridge and Simon Stanford opened with 32 before the latter was caught behind for 24 (5 fours) off Morton with 32 on the scoreboard – but they suffered body blows as Tom Mansbridge and ace run-gather Cope were back in the pavilion with only 13 added and they still hadn’t reached 50 with half of their overs gone by.
 
Ryan Morton claimed two of them from the clubhouse end and Rob Williams clean bowled Cope to make another major contribution to his team’s fortunes – but after limping to 79 for 6, with John Mansbridge scoring 15 from 30 deliveries, their momentum increased dramatically when skipper Yannic Parker joined Gareth Edwards and belted 5 fours and a six in 29 made from only 15 balls – but then became Morton’s fourth wicket of an excellent spell.
 
Gareth Edwards supported with two fours in his undefeated 15 (9 balls) and Danny Caine (11) showed what might have been with a big six as he was also not out  as they finished on 132 for 7; far better than looked likely at one stage but setting Lawrenny a target of 118 to win.
 

Lawrenny also get the wobbles but eventually come through

 
If Lawrenny had any thoughts that their target was a comfortable one they were quickly shaken out of that belief as Will Allen was bowled by Franklin for a duck and anchor man Harry Thomas soon followed as keeper Brace pouched a simple catch off Cope’s bowing – so at 6 for 2 it was definitely game on.
 
But Australian Troy Purslowe used his wealth of experience to assume that important role as Morton hit 2 fours and a six for 19 in 14 balls but was caught by Parker off John Mansbridge, with Nicholas manging only a single before he fell to Franklin and the pendulum swung the other way as Lawrenny struggled to 50 for 4 in 11 overs, still needing 68 runs as Saundersfoot sniffed a bit of blood as Cope and Franklin bowled their hearts out and were supported by excellent fielding.
 
But that’s when Thomas Cole joined Purslowe and again exerted a huge influence as he smashed his way to 32 in only 18 deliveries, with two fours and 3 big sixes and although he was then bowled by Cope the Lawrenny total had rocketed to 83 for 5 and with a drastically reduced run rate.
 
Purslowe had moved quietly to 17 at that time but he found a willing partner in Joe Kidney and there were few more alarms before they reached their target with Purslowe on 38 not out from 44 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) and Kidney on 17 not out (three fours in 15 balls).
 

And finally . . .

 
County club chairman David Brandon spoke at the presentation and the trophy was presented to Ryan Morton by Hugh Harrison-Allen, whose family donated the magnificent silver bowl all those years ago, and with the man of the match trophy and replica presented by Joyce Thomas, whose father John was captain of Cresselly for a long time, her brother Glyn being busy nearby on groundsman’s work.
 
There is always the inevitable potent mix of joy and despair afterwards and it is Lawrenny who made the short journey home with the silverware. Saundersfoot’s disappointment was evident at missing out in their first final but they can take consolation for their terrific part in such an absorbing clash. Both teams’ supporters (and it was a real family day out) can take great credit too for a trouble-free day and credit to all the officials, the great groundsmen led by Richard Arthur and George Richards, announcer Richard Merriman, scorers and umpires.
 
Rob Bellerby and David Bonner maintained a quiet, positive control, with the latter also making his last appearance on Pembrokeshire grass because he is moving back to his native Lancashire – and everyone in local cricket will wish this quiet gentleman lots more umpiring when he gets there!
 
 

SCORECARDS:

 
FIRST INNINGS:
 
Saundersfoot Batting:
Tom Mansbridge b Rob Williams 5
Danny Caine ct Will Allen b Oscar Lewis 3
Sam Franklin ct Joe Kidney b Rob Williams 1
Nick Cope ct Troy Purslowe  b Oscar Lewis 47
John Mansbridge  ct Rob Williams b Troy Purslowe 36
Simon Stanford Lee b Ryan Morton 3
Danny Brace b Ryan Morton 7
James Caine not out 0
Gareth Edwards not out 4
Extras 12
Total (7 wickets) 118
 
Lawrenny Bowling:
Oscar Lewis 6-0-28-2; Rob Williams 6-1-15-2; Ryan Morton 5-0-28-2; Fin Lewis 3-0-28-0, Troy Purslowe 2-0-16-1
 
Lawrenny Batting:
Harry Thomas ct Scott Helmich b Nick Cope 40
Will Allen ct & b Sam Franklin 11
Troy Purslowe  b John Mansbridge 10
Wil Nicholas ct Scott Helmich b Tom Mansbridge 24
Ryan Morton run out 2
Thomas Cole not out 37
Joe Kidney run out 0
Rhys Eynon run out 3
Finley Lewis not out 0
Extras 6
Total (6 wickets) 133
 
Saundersfoot Bowling:
Nick Cope 5-0-25-1; Sam Franklin 6-0-34-1; John Mansbridge 6-0-24-1; Tom Mansbridge 5-0-45-1
 
SECOND INNINGS:
 
Saundersfoot Batting:
Tom Mansbridge ct Oscar Lewis b Ryan Morton 11
Simon Stanford ct Will Allen b Ryan Morton 24
Nick Cope b Rob Williams 6
John Mansbridge b Ryan Morton 15
James Caine ct Joe Kidney b Finley Lewis 6
Danny Brace ct Harry Thomas b Oscar Lewis 1
Gareth Edwards not out 15
Yannic Parker b Ryan Morton 29
Danny Caine not out 11
Extras 14
Total (7 wickets) 132
 
Lawrenny Bowling:
Rob Williams 6-0-20-1; Oscar Lewis 6-0-42-1; Ryan Morton 6-0-34-4; Finley Lewis 4-0-26-1
 
Lawrenny Batting:
Harry Thomas ct Danny Brace b Nick Cope 5
Will Allen b Sam Franklin 0
Troy Purslowe not out 38
Ryan Morton ct Yannic Parker b John Mansbridge 19
Wil Nicholas b Sam Franklin 1
Thomas Cole  b Nick Cope 32
Joe Kidney not out 17
Extras 9
Total (5 wickets) 121
 
Saundersfoot Bowling:
Nick Cope 6-0-21-2; Sam Franklin 6-1-26-2; Tom Mansbridge 4-0-49-1; Danny Caine 1.4-0-12-0; Tom Mansbridge 2.1-0-11-0