PHOTOS:
Winners Whitland
Whitland skipper Wayne Jones raises the Alec Colley Cup
Man of the match Jonathan Thomas
Runners up Carew 2nds
Jonathan Thomas drives
Scorers Ann-Marie Jenkins & Scott Richards
Umpires Arthur Brady & Dai Morris
Pictures by Brian McKehon

 

Alec Colley Cup Final:

 

Whitland 2nds (130 for 7 & 156 for 5) beat Carew 2nds (129 for 7 & 127 for 8) by 30 runs

 
Umpires: Arthur Brady & Dai Morris
Scorers: Ann-Marie Jenkins & Scott Richards
Scoreboard manipulator: Rob Benjamin
 
Venue: Treleet, Pembroke
Man of the Match: Jonathan Thomas (Whitland)
 
After a very even first innings Whitland Seconds went in to tea at Treleet just one run in front of a young Carew side but really put their far greater experience to good effect in the second half of an absorbing and entertaining clash played in an excellent spirit throughout.
 
They amassed a huge total of 156 for 5 and although Carew tried hard to maintain a run rate that would put them in with a chance of success the pressure, allied to some good fielding and tight bowling, saw Whitland retain the trophy they had also won the previous campaign.
 
Amazingly, Whitland managed to win despite the fact that in the two innings they conceded a total of 64 extras, 48 of them from wides – and there was an interesting moment in the Carew first innings where the ball appeared to pass through the gap between two of the stumps!
 

Thomas class helps Whitland

 
Batting first, Whitland lost three early wickets but Jonathan Thomas produced a classy 42 alongside Wayne Jones (15) before Wayne Howells’ big late hitting of 28 runs advanced them to 130 for 7 wickets despite two wickets apiece from Joel Read, Iori Hicks and Harry Cook, plus one from Max Brindley in a youthful Carew attack.
 

Carew struggle early on

 
Carew’s reply got off to a poor start as only Luke Hicks (11) managed double figures in their top five batsmen before Chris Cole (28) and Jacob Knox (31) batted well until Knox was run out and Cole was bowled by Wayne Howells as part of his two-wicket spell alongside Geraint Phillips, with a wicket apiece from Wayne Jones and Jonathan Thomas.
 

Whitland blitz their way to a big score

 
Whitland’s second innings got off to a much better beginning as Nathan Evans (10) and Martin Thomas (19) chipped in a few runs as Dylan Blain and Jonathan Thomas rapped four fours and a six each in respective scores of 48 and 50. Dan Newton was run out on 11 but Whitland’s finally tally of 156 for 5 ensured Carew would have to bat really well to have any chance of winning!
 

Thomas soon gets Carew in a spin

 
But Jonathan Thomas soon had them in deep trouble with his canny slow stuff allied to Geraint Phillips’ pace and the only thing that kept Carew hoping for a reprieve was Whitland’s seeming determination to gift them runs as they limped to 87 for 8 thanks to ‘Mr Extras’.
 

Cook and Edwards lead brave fight back

 
Harry Cook (20 not out) and Dan Edwards (18 not out) made sure that their unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 40 made sure there was a deserved respectability in Carew’s final total and although they finished 31 runs short of success they certainly played their part in a well-supported final on a Treleet Ground that really was a credit to Pembroke Cricket Club’s hard work during the week beforehand.
 
Jonathan Thomas (Whitland) was the obvious choice as man of the match for his 92 runs and six wickets conceded for only 34 runs, with Wayne Howells staking a claim for the best catch of the day as the Whitland old-timer caught Luke Hicks on the boundary in Carew’s second innings!
 
SCORECARD:
 
First Innings:
 
Whitland 2nds Batting:
Dylan Blain ct Luke Hicks b Joel Read 8
Nathan Evans b Max Brindley 3
Jonathan Thomas ct Max Brindley b Harry Cook 42
Martin Thomas b Joel Read 7
Dan Newton b Iori Hicks 8
Wayne Jones ct Dan Edwards b Harry Cook 15
Geraint Phillips b Iori Hicks 2
Wayne Howells not out 26
Che Thomas not out 1
Extras 18
Total (7 wickets) 130
 
Carew 2nds Bowling:
Joel Read 5-0-25-2; Max Brindley 5-0-26-1; Iori Hicks 5-0-39-2; Harry Cook 5-0-34-2
 
Carew 2nds Batting:
Haydn Shapcott lbw b Geraint Phillips 2
Daf Bevan ct Geraint Phillips b Wayne Howells 4
Max Brindley b Wayne Howells 0
Luke Hicks b Jonathan Thomas 11
Dai Rees ct Martin Thomas b Geraint Phillips 1
Chris Cole b Wayne Jones 28
Jacob Knox run out 31
Joel Read not out 14
Harry Cook not out 2
Extras 36
Total (7 wickets) 129
 
Whitland 2nds Bowling:
Wayne Howells 5-0-37-2; Geraint Phillips 5-0-35-2; Wayne Jones 5-0-36-1; Jonathan Thomas 5-0-14-1
 
Second Innings:
 
Whitland 2nds Batting:
Dylan Blain st Dafydd Bevan b Dan Edwards 48
Nathan Evans ct Luke Hicks b Joel Read 10
Jonathan Thomas ct Haydn Shapcott b Dan Edwards 50
Martin Thomas lbw b Dan Edwards 19
Dan Newton run out 11
Geraint Phillips not out 6
Wayne Jones not out 0
Extras 12
Total (5 wickets) 156
 
Carew 2nds Bowling:
Joel Read 5-0-30-1; Max Brindley 5-0-33-0; Iori Hicks 2-0-27-0; Harry Cook 5-0-36-0; Dan Edwards 3-0-27-3
 
Carew 2nds Batting:
Haydn Shapcott b Jonathan Thomas 9
Dafydd Bevan ct Dan Newton b Geraint Phillips 6
Max Brindley ct James Thomas b Jonathan Thomas 17
Luke Hicks ct Wayne Howells b Wayne Jones 9
Dai Rees b Jonathan Thomas 8
Chris Cole ct Martin Thomas b Jonathan Thomas 9
Jacob Knox run out 3
Joel Read lbw b Jonathan Thomas 0
Harry Cook not out 20
Dan Edwards not out 18
Extras 28
Total (8 wickets) 127
 
Whitland 2nds Bowling:
Wayne Howells 5-0-39-0; Geraint Phillips 5-0-30-1; Wayne Jones 5-0-31-1; Jonathan Thomas 5-0-22-5