Harrison-Allen Bowl final: Lawrenny (140-7 and 166-4) beat Whitland (159-6 and 146-6) by 6 wickets

 

Cometh the hour, cometh the captain, writes Fraser Watson.
 
A pressure knock of 61 not out from Lawrenny captain Troy Purslowe proved defining as his side chased down a target of 165 in their final innings to seal Harrison-Allen Bowl glory in an enthralling final against Whitland, writes Fraser Watson.
 
Trailing by 19 runs at tea, Purslowe's side looked up against it after the Borderers made 146-6 in the second innings - and when Lawrenny then fell to 64-4 in the 11th over it appeared the Bowl was heading back to Whitland for the first time since 2012. But the skipper, who struck six maximums and two fours in his brutal knock, was joined by Joe Kidney in an unbeaten stand of 102 as the pair got over the line with just two balls to spare.
 
For the runners-up, it was a final that got away. Gethin Scourfield's side deservedly had the advantage at the interval after stifling their opponents in the latter stages of their first innings. But in a tense finale, Purslowe was dropped four times and Kidney was also put down as chances came and went.
 
But the clash itself proved a fascinating one that remained in the balance until the very end. And the move to Bank Holiday Monday, courtesy of the weekend rain, didn't deter a large crowd from coming to Cresselly for a clash that was worth watching,
 

Whitland first innings

 
With the outfield still clearly dampened from the weekend rain, it was of little surprise that Purslowe opted to field upon winning the toss.
 
But after a cagey start, Dylan Blain got Whitland moving in the third over as he hooked Ryan Morton for a six and four off successive deliveries, with Morton also throwing down two no-balls. The momentum was immediately checked in the following over though as Kevin Pearce nicked an Oscar Lewis delivery to keeper Will Allen.
 
Morton then appeared to have taken the second wicket when he took a return catch off Whitland captain Geraint Scourfield - only for square-leg umpire Nigel Richards to call no-ball for Lawrenny having too many fielders outside the circle. However, the same bowler then clean bowled Blain as he tried to advance down the track - the opener going for 21 off 24 balls.
 
At 36 for 2 Nicholas and Scott Newton then built steadily with a partnership of 41, Newton smacking Finlay Lewis for a straight six in the 9th over before Lewis bounced back as Allen - standing up to the stumps - brilliantly caught Scourfield for 24. Newton meanwhile, made 18 before being bowled by Purslowe.
 
Matthew Davies (14) and Ethan Ryan (9) both chipped in late on before falling to Finlay and Oscar Lewis respectively, but it was the innings of No.5 Geraint Jones that changed the outlook. After cracking Purslowe for a maximum he then started the 21st over by hitting Morton for three sixes in as many balls - with the third also called a no-ball for good measure.
 
Jones went on to finish 48 not out (five sixes) as 30 runs came in the final two overs - taking his side to what appeared a challenging total of 159-6.
 

Lawrenny first innings

 
Harry Thomas wasted little time in getting things moving in the Lawrenny reply, pulling Cian Jones to the fence first ball before cutting another boundary over square-leg.
 
Finlay Lewis also planted Newton's full-toss for six and later cracked a maximum off Jones as the Gavenyards moved to 32-0 after five overs.
 
The pair continued to lay the foundations as the score reached 50-0 inside eight overs, but then came the breakthrough as Lewis played on off Rees having made 25.
 
As Thomas continued to tick over, Tom Cole added impetus as he hit Jones for 10 off two balls to reach 30 - 24 of which had come in boundaries - but Jones held his nerve to clean bowl him with his next delivery.
 
That stemmed the tide and the introduction of Davies after 16 overs proved crucial. Some 14 years after leading Whitland to their first ever Bowl win, he took the wickets of Thomas (42), Purslowe and Rhys Eynon in a brilliant spell of 3-16 in three overs - his only error a full-toss off his final ball that Morton hammered over the rope.
 
But Newton then bowled a superb final over that went for just two singles, with the innings closing on a wicket as Kidney could only loft an attempted drive back to the bowler to give Whitland what looked a crucial 19-run lead at the interval.
 

Whitland second innings

 
Morton had been erratic earlier in the day in his 1-52 in five overs - but he came out a different bowler second time around.
 
He skittled Kevin Pearce in bowling a wicket-maiden first up, and then had Scourfield playing and missing before trapping Blain LBW. With the pressure ramping up, it was down to Scourfield and Newton to rebuild matters - and it wasn't until the seventh over that the latter broke the shackles by hooking a Morton short ball to the fence.
 
The pair put on 58 before Newton, who had struck four fours and six, was caught on the boundary by Kidney off the bowling of Lewis. Scourfield made 15 before chipping a Purslowe delivery into the hands of Thomas but then Jones entered the fray and again upped the ante.
 
In his first five balls against Lewis, he hit three boundaries and then in the 17th over took the same bowler for back-to-back sixes. Lewis held his nerve though, and responded with three dot balls before Jones nicked one to Allen having made 31 in just 16 balls.
 
It was then left to Davies to maintain momentum and he duly did so, scoring an unbeaten 34 in as many balls as he played intelligently, his innings one of touch and placement as opposed to power hitting.
 

Lawrenny second innings

 
A total of 165 appeared a tough test for Lawrenny, and it got tougher still as Jones and Newton conceded just four off the opening two overs. And when Jones removed Thomas with a yorker in the third it was very much advantage Whitland.
 
But Cole turned things around in the fifth over, whipping two leg-side fours off Rees before finding the fence twice more with a lofted drive and a fortunate inside edge. He then struck a huge six as the over went for 22 and at 37-1, suddenly Lawrenny were right back in it.
 
Lewis got in on the act with two boundaries off Newton's next over, but Wayne Howells then got the big wicket of Cole, trapping him LBW for 29 in just 14 balls. Davies then bowled Lewis for 24 just as he began to look dangerous, and when he then removed Morton via a brilliant catch by Newton it seemed Whitland had arrested the slide.
 
But despite Kidney almost giving a return catch to Davies off his first ball, it was then that he and Purslowe took over. Kidney ended the 15th over by sweeping Howells to the fence to leave Lawrenny 111-4 and needing 55 in seven overs to win.
 
Purslowe capitalised on being dropped by Scourfield by launching Davies for a six and Pearce was unable to grasp a tough chance of Kidney, who also survived a run out scare before Purslowe hammered another maximum off the returning Jones.
 
He was dropped two further times by Jones on the boundary and the tension rose with Lawrenny left needing 13 off 12 balls to win. They took seven off Rees in the 21st over and after a Kidney single, required five off Newton's last four balls.
 
Purslowe scrambled one of them as Che Thomas couldn't grasp another difficult chance in the deep and then Kidney, just as he did on the same stage two years ago, provided the winning moment with a boundary to spark elation amongst team-mates and fans in yellow.
 
Speaking to Pembrokeshire Sport moments after sealing victory, man of the match Purslowe said: "The message at tea was just to go out and perform in the second half and the third innings was key.
 
"I wasn't thinking about it (the match situation) too much in the final overs. It was just a case of let's bloody do it and we got there."
 
As with any Bowl final, the contrasting emotions were evident in the post-match presentations, with County Chairman Martin Jones thanking all involved before Hugh Harrison-Allen presented the silverware to Purslowe and co as they celebrated a second final win three seasons.






SCORECARDS
 
FIRST INNINGS:
 
Whitland Batting:
Dylan Blain b Ryan Morton 24
Kevin Pearce ct Will Allen b Oscar Lewis 4
Gethin Scourfield ct Will Allen b Fin Lewis 24
Scott Newton b Troy Purslowe 18
Geraint Jones not out 48
Matthew Davies ct Troy Purslowe  b Fin Lewis 14
Ethan Ryan ct Will Allen b Oscar Lewis 9
Che Thomas not out 2
Extras 16
Total  (6 wickets) 159
 
Lawrenny Bowling:
Ryan Morton 5-0-52-1; Oscar Lewis 5-0-19-2; Fin Lewis 6-0-40-2; Troy Purslowe 6-0-36-1
 
Lawrenny Batting:
Harry Thomas ct Dylan Blain b Matthew Davies 42
Finley Lewis b Cian Rees 29
Tom Cole b Geraint Jones 30
Troy Purslowe ct Geraint Jones b Matthew Davies 16
Ryan Morton not out 9
Will Allen ct Che Thomas b Scott Newton 2
Rhys Eynon ct Scott Newton b Matthew Davies 2
Joe Kidney  ct & b Scott Newton 2
Extras 8
Total (7 wickets) 140
 
Whitland Bowling:
Scott Newton 5-0-22-2; Cian Rees 6-0-33-1; Wayne Howells 6-0-41-0; Geraint Jones 2-0-26-1; Matthew Davies 3-0-16-1

 
SECOND INNINGS:
 
Whitland Batting:
Dylan Blain lbw b Ryan Morton 2
Kevin Pearce b Ryan Morton 0
Gethin Scourfield ct Harry Thomas b Troy Purslowe16
Scott Newton ct Joe Kidney b Finley Lewis 40
Geraint Jones ct Wil Allen b Finley Lewis 31
Matthew Davies 34
Ethan Ryan b Ryan Morton 1
Che Thomas not out 1
Extras 21
Total (6 wickets) 146
 
Lawrenny Bowling:
Ryan Morton 5-0-21-2; Oscar Lewis 5-0-19-2; Finley Lewis 6-0-40-2; Troy Purslowe 3-0-22-1;;; Noah Williams 2-0-14-0
 
Lawrenny Batting:
Harry Thomas b Cian Rees 4
Finley Lewis b Matthew Davies 24
Tom Cole b Wayne Howells 29
Troy Purslowe not out 61
Ryan Morton c Scott Newton b Matthew Davies 2
Joe Kidney not out 36
Extras 10
Total (4 wickets) 166
 
Whitland Bowling:
Scott Newton 5.4-0-40-0; Cian Rees 5-0-47-1; Wayne Howells 5-0-24-1; Matthew Davies 6-0-49-2