Welsh Women’s Cricket Premier League:
 

Match One:

 

Makeshift county pay the price against experienced Panthers

 

Port Talbot/Cowbridge Ladies (204 for 8) beat Pembrokeshire Ladies (88 all out) by 119 runs

 
Venue: Port Talbot CC
Scorers: Adam Hughes & Judith Tucker
 
Pembrokeshire Ladies played their first game of the new campaign as they took on Port Talbot/Cowbridge Panthers at Port Talbot’s ground and found it hard going against a very experienced set of opponents who are led by Rachel Priest, the former New Zealand, Wellington and Wales wicket/keeper batsman, and have a squad of players who have all played age-group cricket for Wales.
 
In sharp contrast, our county was without a number of key players through injury or unavailability, which meant that no fewer than five players were making their county debut - but that takes nothing away from the fact that Pembs gave 100% under the leadership of skipper Samantha Rossiter, who showed her wide experience with some excellent batting against a very strong rival bowling attack.
 
Sam invited the Panthers to bat first and Rachel Priest showed her pedigree with 24 runs before she was bowled by Lily Thomas - but it was Imogen Smart who led their batting with a confident 59 before she was bowled by Emilia Wilson. Elizabeth Fox chipped in with 24 but was run out and Bronte Lorimer (35) fell to Chloe Lewis.
 
The county fielded well in support of Lilly Thomas’s excellent 3 for 43 alongside Emilia Wilson (1 for 26) and Chloe Lewis (2 for 18), with other spells for Maisy Davies, Bobbie Neale, Lewis Hughes and Jodie Lewis - but unfortunately, the county’s inexperience showed as they conceded 42 extras, 33 of them from wides, and a final total of 204 for 8 was obviously a huge ask.
 
And Pembrokeshire got off to a dreadful start to their reply as Jemma Phillips was adjudged lbw to Isobel Thorndyke from the first ball of the innings, followed quickly by No 3 Lily Thomas, who faced a few deliveries before being removed by the same bowler for a duck.
 
Sam Rossiter batted sensibly, using her many years of experience with ladies’ and men’s cricket, but no-one else was able to stay long as Thorndyke ended with tremendous figures of 6 for 20 from only 4.5 overs.
 
Rossiter had four fours in her undefeated 32, made from 76 balls, with only 34 extras (28 wides) helping her to a final tally of 88 all out in 24.5 overs.
 
It was a disappointing start to the Pembrokeshire Ladies’ appearance in this season’s Welsh Women’s Premier League but with the return match coming up quickly they will have another chance to show off their skills.
 

Scorecard:

 
Pembrokeshire Batting:
Jemma Phillips lbw b Isobel Thorndyke 0
Emilia Wilson’s Mullai Chandramohan 7
Lily Thomas b Isobel Thorndyke 0
Sam Rossiter not out 32
Zoe Minnet st Rachel Priest b b Imogen Smart 4
Maisy Davies run out 6
Chloe Lewis b Isobel Thorndyke 1
Lewis Hughes b Isobel Thorndyke 2
Bobby Neale b Isobel Thorndyke 2
Jodie Lewis b Isobel Thorndyke 0
Linzi Picton b Isobel Thorndyke 0
Extras 34
Total (all out) 88
 
Port Talbot/Cowbridge Panthers’ Bowling:
Isobel Thorndyke 6-20, Mulla Chandramohan 1-8, Imogen Smart 1-8; Tesni Morgan 1-10
 




 

Match Two:

 

Revitalised county push Panthers all the way

 

Pembrokeshire Ladies (123 all out) lost to Port Talbot/Cowbridge (134 all out) by 11 runs

 
Venue: Treleet Ground, Pembroke CC
Umpires: Ian Milsom & Allan Hansen
Scorers: Judith Tucker & Peter Betterley
 
The County put on a much better show as they entertained The Panthers in their return match at Treleet, the home of Pembroke Cricket Club, where they were well looked after by the host club – and were in contention throughout as Sam Rossiter took them to withing 12 runs of a revenge win before Port Talbot/Cowbridge Panthers eased home.
 
The county got off to a flying start as talented teenager Ava Midgley sent Morgan Janczeweski’s stumps flying from the first ball of the match and Emilia Wilson produced another superb delivery to remove top scorer from the previous match, No 3 Imogen Smart, for a 12-ball duck.
 

Skipper soon settles things down

 
But skipper Rachel Priest settled things down alongside Elizabeth Cox (run out 16) and then with Carys Jenkins, who reached 26 before she was bowled by another excellent young prospect in Phoenix Phillips.
 
Ava Midgley shifted Pries for 31 and completed a terrific 3 for 33 haul by bowling Heidi Davies for 23 before Phoenix Phillips ended up with an outstanding spell of 3 for 23 as she bowled Izzy Jones for a duck and Isobel Thorndyke (well caught by Ffion Ashman) for 7.
 
Emilia Wilson ended up with 2 for 10 from her miserly spell but the county conceded 23 extras despite the bowling in support of Lowis Hughes, Lily Thomas, Ffion Ashman, Lucy Johnson and Megan Arthur.
 
Pembrokeshire struggle from the outset
 
Pembrokeshire made an equally poor start, however, as their top bowling pair of Midgley and Phillips failed to trouble the scorers and from then on only Sam Rossiter ever looked comfortable against the bowling of Morgan Janczeweski (3 for 20), Isobel Thorndyke (1 for 20), Imogen Smart (2 for 17), Tesni Morgan and Izzy Jones.
 
Kacey Arran was second top scorer for Pembrokeshire with nine runs and Maddie Potter (7) was going well until she was unluckily run out but it was 35 in the ‘extras’ column that took them close – and with Sam Rossiter finishing undefeated on a superb 52 from 78 balls (five fours) to confirm her status as still a leading light in local ladies’ cricket.
 

Scorecard:

 
Pembrokeshire Batting:
Megan Arthur b Morgan Janczewski 6
Phoenix Phillips ct Elizabeth Cox b Isobel Thorndyke 0
Ava Midgley b Morgan Janczewski 0
Sam Rossiter not out 54
Kacey Arran ct Carys Jenkins b Imogen Smart 9
Ffion Ashman b Imogen Smart 2
Emilia Wilson ct Morgan Janczewski 6
Lucy Johnson b Carys Jenkins 3
Lily Thomas b Izzy Jones 0
Maddie Potter run out 7
Rhiannon Morgan ct Isobel Thorndyke b Carys John 3
Extras 33
Total (all out) 123