2026 Alan Brown Cup Final:

 
 

Lamphey (173 for 6 & 177 for 3) beat Laugharne (165 for 3 and 147 all out) by 38 runs

 
 
Umpires: Nigel Richards & Ryan Lewis
Scorers: Helen Hodges & Ffion Davies
 
Venue: Springfield Park, Whitland
 
Man of the Match: David Blackwell (Lamphey)
Adjudicators: Huw Simpkins & Neill Crawshaw
 
Lamphey won the Allan Brown Cup for the first time in their history as they beat Laugharne in a real run-fest on a superb batting track and lightning-quick outfield at Whitland, which was provided by the hard-working ground staff and enjoyed by the players, and appreciated by their respective supporters, who were a credit to their clubs.
 
Organised by the Pembrokeshire Association of Cricket Officials and having found a cracking home venue for their competition, the qualification for entry is clubs who have their first teams in Division Three and lower – with Laugharne starting slight favourites since they are runaway leaders of Division Three, with Lamphey in third place.
 
The teams met in the league and Laugharne again showed their batting power with 113 runs from Matthew Tait as they scored 259 for 5 and Rob Mathias responding with 90 for Llangwm as they reached 190 all out.
 

FIRST INNINGS -
 

Lamphey throw down the gauntlet after being asked to bat first

 
Lamphey were asked to bat first and made a solid start through Peter McGilloway and David Blackwell before the former batsman was caught by Harry Clapperton off Sam Lynch for 10 - and his replacement David Dredge raised the run-rate until Blackwell, who had looked in good nick, fell for 18 as Callum Collins-Davies pouched a catch off Simon Davies with the score on 67.
 
Dredge followed five runs later to a cracking catch by keeper Sean Lynch off Joe Hughes having faced only 20 balls for his 33 runs, including six boundaries.

Nick Shelmerdine followed soon afterwards without troubling the scorers as he was clean bowled by Simon Davies but then Morgan Price-Richards and Rob Mathias joined forces in a very productive partnership where they ran well between the wickets and punished anything loose in a partnership of 76 which doubled the score.
 
Mathias suffered a blow which shook him but he showed typical grit as he lofted a six and five fours  in 27 deliveries before he was caught by Ellis Hennessy off James Allen for 37 - and sixteen-year-old Morgan Richards added an identical innings before he was bowled by Sam Lynch, with only 31 balls faced and including five fours and a six. 
 
Terrence Makradakis and Theo Hennells added cameos at the end, with Hennells playing his last game for the club after completing his university course, and the final big score boosted by 24 extras.
 
Lamphey Batting:
Peter McGilloway ct Harry Clapperton b Sam Lynch 10
David Blackwell ct Callum Collins-Davies b Simon Davies 18
David Dredge ct Sean Lynch b Joe Hughes 33
Nick Shelmerdine b Sam Davies 0
Morgan Price-Richards b Sam Lynch 37
Rob Mathias ct Ellis Hennessy b James Allen 37
Terrence Makradakis not out 4
Theo Hennells not out 10
Extras 24
Total (6 wickets) 173
 
Laugharne Bowling:
Sam Lynch 5-0-44-2; Simon Davies 5-1-27-2; Joe Hodges 5-0-44-1; Callum Collins-Davies 2-0-19-0; James Allen 3-0-31-1





 

FIRST INNINGS 
 

Laugharne go so close to matching the target set

 
Laugharne Batting:
 
Facing such a challenging total, Laugharne needed a good start and that is exactly what they got as Callum Collins-Davies and Brendan McCay had 80 on the board at the half-way mark without losing a wicket, with both looking in good nick but then David Blackwell bowled Collins-Davies for 29 at a run a ball, which included four boundaries.
 
By then McCay was in punishing mode and  Matthew Tiait arrived at the crease looking to add to the 800-odd runs he has scored this season - but after reaching 16 Theo Hennells tempted him to play a loose shot and Nick Shelmerdine was delighted to punch the vital catch with the Laugharne score on 103.
 
McCay moved smoothly on to 56 (41 balls, five fours & three sixes) but then  David Dredge used his wealth of experience to clean bowl the big-hitter, whose half century included five fours and three sixes.
 
It inevitably put a slight break on the run-rate as Barry Meredith and Joe Hodges had to adjust to some accurate stuff from the Lamphey bowling but gradually took their team’s tally to within touching distance with undefeated innings.
 
22 extras put Laugharne just eight runs short at the half-way stage but with only three wickets down some of the local pundits felt they might have sacrificed more wickets in the quest for a first-innings lead!
 
Laugharne Batting:
Callum Collins-Davies b David Blackwell 29
Brendan McCay b David Dredge 56
Matthew Tait ct Nick Shelmerdine b Theo Hennells 16
Barry Meredith  not out 20
Joe Hodges not out 22
Extras 22
Total (3 wickets) 165
 
Lamphey Bowling:
Peter McGilloway 5-0-37-0; S Ferran 2-0-23-0; H Gibbs 1-0-12-0; David Blackwell 5-0-32-1; Theo Hennells 2-0-20–1; David Dredge 5-0-33-1





 

SECOND INNINGS:

 
Lamphey made an impressive start to their second innings via Peter McGilloway (29) and David Blackwell, with skipper Dredge also belting 24 from only 11 balls (two fours and two sixes).
 
When he departed, Blackwell was provided with important support from Nick Shelmerdine  (two fours and a six in his 22 not out) and teenager Morgan Price-Richards (14 not out), and the opener eventually departed with an outstanding  65 to his name, including 11 fours.
 
There were 23 extras and the successful Laugharne bowlers were James Allen, Callum Collins-Davies and teenager Harry Clapperton, who each claimed a single wicket as Lamphey posted another impressive tally of 177 for 3 and left Laugharne with a very challenging final target of 186 runs to win.
 
Lamphey Batting:
Peter McGilloway  ct Sam Lynch b James Allen 29
David Blackwell ct James Allen  b Harry Clapperton 65
David Dredge ct Sam Lynch b Callum Collins-Davies 24
Nick Shelmerdine not out 22
Morgan Price-Richards not out 14
Extras 23
Total (3 wickets) 177
 
Laugharne Bowling:
Sam Lynch 20-22-0; Simon Davies 5-0-31-0; James Allen 5-0-37-1; Callum Collins-Davies 5-0-43-1; Harry Clapperton 3-0-11-0; Ellis Henneessey 1-0-11-0
 

Laugharne start well but dramatically collapse as Blockwell bags a hat-trick

 
Laugharne’s hopes of reaching such a gigantic winning score received early set-backs as prolific run makers Callum Collins-Davies and Brennan McCay were respectively removed by wily spinner Hywel Gibbs and Peter McGilloway, who then shifted Barry Meredith to leave Laugharne looking very shaky indeed.
 
But Matthew Tait and Joe Hodges mounted a mini-fight-back before Gibbs claimed the prize scalp of Tait for 34 (in 23 balls, with four fours and a six).
 
Teenager Clapperton, called in late to replace an injured player, then joined Hodges in a 54 partnership that put Laugharne back in with a shout but again Lampey struck at a key time as skipper David Dredge finally found his length and bowled Clapperton for 21 from only 14 balls, including two fours and a six).
 
But danger still lurked in the big-hitting of Hodges but after keeper Sean Lynch fell with the score on 147, it was Blackwell who raced in and cleaned bowl the big hitter for 60 (six fours and three sixes from only 39 balls – and  then bowled Simon Davies and Ellis Hennessey to complete a glorious all-bowled hat-trick before he was deservedly mobbed by his delighted team mates!
 
Dredge rounded things off by bowling Sam Lynch, which meant Laugharne had lost their last five wickets without a run being scored.
 

And finally

 
It was a great afternoon for Lamphey and their supporters, led by Andrew Skeels on his crutches, were understandably jubilant – but credit also to the Laugharne team for the sporting way they acknowledged defeat and the good behaviour of their supporters, including a group of about ten who were dressed as jockeys!
 
The game was blessed with great weather and both teams, officials, umpires and some hungry supporters were superbly fed a mammoth tea prepared by Helen Ryan and her lovely Mum!
 
David Blackwell deserved every credit for his award, with Joe Hodges pushing him from Laugharne but few would argue with the final result.
 
Trefor Evans, the president of the Pembrokeshire Association of Cricket Officials, did a great job in his closing speech at the presentation and this was a cracking final that would stand right up there as one of the best finals ever in this popular competition!
 
 
Laugharne Batting:
Callum Collins-Davies b Hywel Gibbs 5
Brendan McCay ct Rob Mathias b Peter McGilloway 11
Matthew Tait ct Terrence Makradakis b Hywel Gibbs 34
Barry Meredith b Peter McGilloway 5
Joe Hedges b David Blockwell 60
Harry Clapperton b David Dredge 21
Sean Lynch b David Dredge 2
Sam Lynch b David Dredge 0
Simon Davies b David Blackwell 0
Ellis Hennessey b David Blackwell 0
James Allen not out 0
Extras 9
(Total (all out) 147
 
Lamphey Bowling:
Peter McGilloway 5-0-24-2; Hywel Gibbs 5-0-40-2; David Blackwell 5-0-38-3; David Dredge 4.3-0-43-3















 

Action Pics - Kelly Pearce

All other pics - Bill Carne