Inter-regional Cricket:

 

SWCA (183 all out) lost to Pembroke County Cricket Club (188 for 5) by 5 wickets

 
Venue: Lawrenny Cricket Club
Umpires: Trefor Evans & Denis Chiffi
Scorer: John Laugharne
 
Pembrokeshire gained a deserved win over a strong South Wales Cricket Association at a picturesque Lawrenny Ground despite a disastrous start to their innings where they stood at 2 for 3 in the third over, chasing a sizeable total of 184 to win.

But then good batting by Iwan Izzard, Brad McDermott-Jenkins, Henry Durrant and Matthew Davies staging a terrific recovery before Davies hit a boundary with the scores tied - but with over five overs still in hand.
 

SWCA start slowly but a big partnership boosts hopes

Pembrokeshire skipper Sean Hannon won the toss and elected to field – and his bowlers had early success with the departure of openers Y Ali and James Davidson to tight bowling by Tom Davies and Iestyn Scourfield.

But Dan Allen (49) and Josh Simmonds (50) steadied the SWCA innings in a stand of 90 before both fell respectively at 111 to Ceri Brace and Henry Durrant, having rasped 14 fours and four sixes between them.

At this stage, with 18 overs left, a big total seemed likely but Durrant (3 for 21) and Matthew Davies (2 for 25) certainly applied the brakes whilst taking wickets so that only Huw Bolland (21) and Tom Clarke (23 not out) ever stayed long afterwards, whilst skipper Gregg Fisher also chipped in with 12 before donning his keeper’s gloves after tea and taking three catches early on.
 

Disastrous opening for county’s batting line-up

Pembrokeshire’s hopes of a solid start soon evaporated into thin air as Dan Sutton, Dylan Blain and Nick Koomen were all back in the pavilion with only two runs on the board – but Iwan Izzard found a willing partner in Brad McDermott-Jenkins, playing on his home ground, both settling in nicely and then playing the full array of attacking shots.

Izzard had eight boundaries in his accomplished 42 and McDermott-Jenkins six fours and a mighty six en route to 35, having contributed a stand of 80 runs.
 

Dashing innings from Durrant and Davies

Tom Davies chipped in with ten runs and after McDermott-Jenkins also fell the county side found another excellent pairing in Durrant and Matthew Davies, who made steady starts where singles were the order of the day and then gradually made a terrific counter-attack where every loose ball was despatched to the boundary.

Durrant’s last nine scoring shots included seven fours and a six in his undefeated 45 and Davies’s 32 not out contained five boundaries so that the county won with wickets and overs in hand so that they could celebrate a deserved success.

Pembroke County Cricket Club: Sean Hannon (Capt & Wktkeeper); Dan Sutton; Dylan Blain; Iwan Izzard; Nick Koomen; Brad McDermott-Jenkins; Tom Davies; Henry Durrant; Matthew Davies; Ceri Brace; Iestyn Scourfield.
 

SCORECARD:

 
SWCA Batting:
 
D Allen 49; J Simmonds 50; D Bolland 21; T Clark 23.
Total (all out) 183
 
Pembrokeshire Bowling:
Iestyn Scourfield 8-3-28-1; Tom Davies 5-0-33-1; Ceri Brace 8-1-56-1; Henry Durrant 8-1-21-3; Matthew Davies 6.1-0-28-2; Brad McDermott-Jenkins 4-0-18-1
 
Pembrokeshire Batting:
Dan Sutton b A Dyer 1
Dylan Blain ct J Griffiths b H Bolland 1
Iwan Izzard ct G Fisher b J Simmonds 42
Nick Koomen ct G Fisher b W Collinson 0
Brad McDermott-Jenkins ct J Davidson b  H Bolland 35
Tom Davies ct D Allen b J Simmonds 10
Henry Durrant not out 45
Matthew Davies not out 32
Extras 22
Total (5 wickets) 188
 
SWCA Bowling:
A Dyer 5-1-24-1; H Bolland 8-1-22-2; W Collinson 3-0-22-1; G Donald 3-0-20-0; J Simmonds 6-1-33-2; T Clark 3-0-19-0; Y Ali 3-0-10-0; G Griffiths 3-0-13-10