Neyland (183 for 5) beat St Ishmaels (106 for 6) by 77 runs

 
Venue: The Racecourse, Haverfordwest
 
Umpires: Glyn Cole & Gareth Brace
Scorers: John Laugharne & Wendy Bradshaw
 
 
A bristling innings of 83 from only 56 balls by opening bat Patrick Bellerby helped send Neyland into the final of the DR Morris Cup as they batted first against St Ishmaels and amassed a challenging score on what seemed a useful track at Haverfordwest before a makeshift Tish team, without several key players absent through injury, battled all the way but lacked the necessary strength in depth.
 

Neyland get off to an excellent start . . .

 
Bellerby and fellow opener Paul Murray got Neyland off to a good start with 58 runs in five overs before the latter looked to add to his list of two boundaries in his 18 runs from as many deliveries with a powerful pull to long on, off canny left-armer Andrew Pawlett, and talented teenager Thomas Williams judged his run around the boundary to perfection to take an excellent catch.
 
Andrew Pawlett further raised Tish hopes as he had Neyland No 3 Ashley Sutton caught first ball, top-edging a ball to Nathan Phillips at point, but then Bellerby was joined by Brad McDermott-Jenkins and this pair accelerated the run-rate further with a string of big hits that saw them advance the score from 59 for 2 to 160 before Bellerby went for one big hit too many and was well caught by Ieuan Hawkins, having belted nine fours and three sixes, including one monster hit onto the nets well beyond the boundary.
 
As so often happens, McDermott-Jenkins departed four balls later after he had reached 32 in as many balls, including three fours - but Ross Hardy marked his welcome return to action after a lengthy injury with two very big sixes in his 19 (from eight balls) so that the addition of 29 extras meant that Neyland had reached a commanding score from their allotted 20 overs, despite a 3 for 35 haul by Andrew Pawlett.
 

Tish needed all their ‘big guns’ to fire

 
Tish knew that their big guns would have to fire well but Tom Pritchard, the under-rated fast bowler in the Neyland team, grabbed 3 for 25 as he shifted Brennan Devonald (10), skipper Jonathan Pawlett (9) and Thomas Williams (17) as Jack John trapped Andrew Williams (9) at the other end.
 
It says much for Andrew Pawlett’s resolve that he tried to launch a counter-attack as he blitzed 38 in 34 balls (four fours and a six) but then lofted a return catch to Neyland skipper Sean Hannon and Tish were on the way out, despite an undefeated 15 from Ieuan Hawkins.
 
Hannon finished with 2 for 21 and slow bowler Andrew Miller bowled his four overs for only 12 runs as the game inevitably petered out and Neyland now face old rivals Carew at Oatfield Park, Burton, over two innings apiece in what should be a cracking final of this very popular competition.
 

SCORECARD

 
Neyland Batting:
Paul Murray ct Tom Williams b Andrew Pawlett 18
Patrick Bellerby ct Ieuan Hawkins b Brennan Devonald 83
Ashley Sutton ct Nathan Phillips b Andrew Pawlett 0
Brad McDermott-Jenkins b Tom Williams 32
Ross Hardy ct Jonathan Pawlett b Andrew Pawlett 19
Alan Webster not out 2
Sean Hannon not out 0
Extras 29
Total (5 wickets) 183
 
St Ishmaels Bowling:
Brennan Devonald 4-0-32-1; Jonathan Pawlett 4-0-24-0; Andrew Pawlett 4-0-35-3; Thomas Williams 4-0-26-1; Ieuan Hawkins 4-0-35-0.
 
St Ishmaels Batting:
Brennan Devonald b Tom Pritchard 10
Jonathan Pawlett ct Patrick Bellerby b Tom Pritchard 9
Thomas Williams ct Patrick Bellerby b Tom Pritchard 17
Andrew Williams lbw b Jack John 9
Andrew Pawlett ct & b Sean Hannon 38
Ieuan Hawkins not out 15
Charlie Welsh b Sean Hannon 0
Ollie Thomas not out 0
Extras 8
Total (6 wickets) 106
 
Neyland Bowling:
Tom Pritchard 4-1-25-3; Sean Hannon 4-0-21-2; Andrew Miller 4-0-12-0; Jack John 4-0-22-1; Alan Webster 4-0-25-0.