2023 D. R. Morris Cup Final:

 
 

Neyland (119 for 7 & 144 for 9) beat Narberth (135 for 6 & 101 all out) by 27 runs

 
Man of the Match: Jack John (Neyland)
Adjudicators: Robert and Dan Ridge (Burton)
Sponsors: Jon and Sheila Hayman
 
Umpires: Trefor Evans & Glyn Cole
Scorers: John Laugharne/Sarah Arran and Carmen Haltam
Venue: Oatfield Park, Burton

Photographs by Susan McKehon
 
Neyland won the D.R.Morris Cup for the eighth time in the last ten finals as they lived up to their favourites tag against Narberth, who belied their underdogs’ labels as they lead by16 runs at the interval and fought back in the second half of their opponents’ attempts at posting a huge second-innings score as they really put pressure on, writes Bill Carne.
 
It was anything but comfortable for Sean Hannon’s men as Narberth also made a bright batting start to the final innings of the match but then were knocked totally off-balance by a superb four-over spell of bowling by Jack John, easily the youngest in the team, which included a maiden and five overs for the miserly return of only 19 runs to deservedly earn him the man of the match trophy from the father and son duo of Robert and Dan Ridge.
 

Neyland struggle to impose themselves

 
Having been asked to bat first on a wicket with traces of dampness at the top end, Neyland suffered an early blow as Nick Koomen departed second ball as he was caught by keeper Will Nicholas off Ben Quartermaine.
 
Patrick Bellerby (17) and Ashley Sutton (11) set about repairing the damage as they moved the score to 30 but both departed there, Bellerby giving a second catch to Nicholas, this time off a lifter by Ben Hughes, and Sutton adjudged lbw to Loui Davies as he was beaten for pace.
 
Nicholas pouched a third catch as Matthew Johns tempted Ross Hardy (18) in going for a big hit and when Paul Murray (17) departed alongside Brad McDermott-Jenkins (well caught by Davies off Davy Johns for a single) Neyland’s tally stood at a precarious 70 for 6.
 
Dai Davies and Andrew Miller put their wealth of experience to good effect as they moved the score on to 100 before Miller (12) was bowled by Lewis Hough – and it took late runs by unbeaten batsmen Dai Davies (21) and Hannon (12) to take Neyland to 119 for 7, with only 11 boundaries accruing as Narberth kept matters tight.
 

Narberth start well as Kyle dominates matters

 
Narberth made an excellent start to their reply as 30 runs were on the board in the sixth over before Richard Adams went for a big hit and was neatly stumped by Neyland skipper Hannon off Andrew Miller – and the same pair combined to remove Hough for 23 soon afterwards.
 
But then Kyle Quartermaine and Jamie McCormack combined forces to advance the score to 105 with a string of boundaries that put their side in a strong position before McCormack (32) was caught on the fence by Murray off Hardy, who then bowled Ben Hardy (2) as Neyland applied real pressure late on.
 
At one stage it had looked as if Narberth would have had a big lead but although Kyle Quartermaine had two fours and five huge sixes in his 61 from 42 deliveries he was bowled by Jack John and Narberth finished on 135 for 6, perhaps 20 runs fewer than they might have hoped for at the half-way stage of their innings.




 

Neyland make a flying start but then get pegged back

 
With the wicket drying out in the strong wind, Neyland went on the attack after a splendid tea via Nick Koomen and Patrick Bellerby, flying along at 10 runs per over before Bellerby was bowled by Loui Davies for 18 (2 fours and a six) – and the momentum was maintained by Ashley Sutton and Paul Murray with 25 apiece, the former from 14 balls and the latter at a run a ball but then fell respectively to Matthew Johns and Ben Quartermaine.
 
 But then Loui Davies bowled superbly to earn figures of 3 for 18 after Neyland had reached 105 in 12 overs but then lost their way as Hardy, and McDermott-Jenkins quickly came and went. Dai Davies was run out from the last ball of the innings and in a similar vein to Narberth’s first innings a final tally of 144 for 7 was perhaps 25 runs short of what they thought possible midway through their 20 overs.
 

Narberth need a flying start but soon have their wings clipped

 
Narberth were eager to build a strong platform but were soon struggling a little at 31 for 2 as Jack John shifted Richard Adams (9) and Lewis Hough (19) to a catch by Koomen and a return catch which he gratefully accepted.
 
He then bowled Jamie McCormack and Loui Davies for next to nothing and much rested on the broad shoulders of skipper Kyle Quartermaine to repeat his heroics of the first innings but then after belting two enormous sixes it was case of third time unlucky as he mishit a John delivery and Bellerby almost casually pouched the catch at ‘Cow Corner’.
 
Kyle’s brother Ben raised hopes with a hard-hitting 26 before fell to Koomen off a Ross Hardy ball and from then on it was only a matter of time before Narberth were all out after 17.4 over to end a game enjoyed by a large crowd of partisan supporters as fortunes ebbed and flowed.



 

Presentation time . . .

 
The presentations were presided over by Dave Brandon, the chairman of the Pembroke County Club, and medals were presented to both teams, scorers and umpires by Graham and Jane Morris before Sean Hannon stepped up to receive the magnificent trophy.
 
Robert Ridge announced the winner of the man of the match award and the announcer for all four innings was Richard Merriman, the previous past chairman of the County Club.
 
 
 

SCORECARDS:

 
First Innings:
 
Neyland Batting:
Nick Koomen ct Wil Nicholas b Ben Quartermaine 1
Patrick Bellerby ct Wil Nicholas b Ben Hughes 17
Ashley Sutton lbw b Loui Davies 11
Paul Murray ct & b Loui Davies 17
Ross Hardy ct Wil Nicholas b Matthew Johns 18
Brad McDermott-Jenkins ct Loui Davies b Davy Johns 1
Dai Davies not out 21
Andrew Miller lbw b Lewis Hough 15
Sean Hannon not out 12
Extras 6
Total 119 for 7
 
Narberth Bowling:
Ben Quartermaine 4-0-18-1; Matthew Johns 4-0-17-1; Loui Davies 4-0-30-2; Ben Hughes 4-0-20-1; Davy Johns 1-0-8-1; Lewis Hough 3-0-24-1.
 
Narberth Batting:
Richard Adams st Sean Hannon b Andrew Miller 7
Lewis Hough st Sean hannon b Andrew Miller 23
Kyle Quartermaine b Jack John 61
Jamie McCormack ct Paul Murray b Ross Hardy 32
Ben Hughes b Ross Hardy 2
Rhodri Dyer not out 2
Ben Quartermaine run out 1
Extras 7
Total (6 wickets) 135
 
Neyland Bowling:
Nick Koomen 4-0-23-2; Ross Hardy 4-0-21-2; Andrew Miller 4-0-21-2, Tom Pritchard 2-0-10-0; Brad McDermott-Jenkins 3-0-19-0; Jack John 4-0-38-1.
 
Second Innings:
 
Neyland Batting:
Nick Koomen b Loui Davies 46
Patrick Bellerby b Loui Davies 18
Ashley Sutton ct Loui Davies b Matthew Johns 25
Paul Murray ct Rhodri Dyer b Ben Quartermaine 25
Ross Hardy ct & b Loui Davies 1
Brad McDermott-Jenkins ct Wil Nicholas b Ben Quartermaine 4
Dai Davies run out 12
Sean Hannon not out 3
Extras 10
Total (7 wickets) 144
 
Narberth Bowling:
Ben Quartermaine 2-37; Loui Davies 3-18; Ben Hughes 0-33; Matthew Johns 4-0-24-1; Lewis Hough 4-0-31-0.
 
Narberth Batting:
Richard Adams ct Nick Koomen b Jack John 9
Lewis Hough ct & b Jack John 19
Kyle Quartermaine ct Patrick Bellerby b Jack John 17
Jamie McCormack b Jack John 5
Loui Davies b Jack John 1
Ben Quartermaine ct Ross Hardy b Nick Koomen 26
Ben Hughes b Brad McDermott-Jenkins 1
Rhodri Dyer run out 7
Wil Nicholas ct Jack John b Ross Hardy 5
Davy Johns not out 3
Matthew Johns run out 0
Extras 8
Total (all out) 101
 
Neyland Bowling:
Ross Hardy 3-0-23-1; Sean Hannon 2-0-10-0; Jack John 4-1-19-5; Andrew Miller 4-0-14-0; Brad McDermott-Jenkins 2-0-16-1; Nick Koomen 2.4-0- 17-1.