Pembrokeshire Ladies’ Cup Final: 

 

Burton Ladies gain comprehensive cup success

 

Cresselly (78-4 and 96-3) lost to Burton (132-3 and 43-0) by 10 wickets

Umpires: Steve Williams and Chris Stapleton.
Scorers: Diane Morris and Chrissie Toy.
Venue: Imble Lane, Pembroke Dock.

Player of the Match: Llawella Scale.

Burton’s batting power came to the fore as they retained their Pembrokeshire Ladies’ Cup crown win a comprehensive win over Cresselly.

After restricting Lauren Arthur’s side to 78-4 in 20 overs, an unbroken stand of 73 between Llawella Scale and Rebecca Barton helped the holders to a 54 run lead at tea, and although Cresselly battled hard with 96-3 in their second innings it left Burton needing just 43 for victory.

Finola Scale and captain Olivia James duly knocked that off with 12 overs to spare, rounding off what was another good advert for ladies’ cricket in Pembrokeshire with the camaraderie between both sets of players apparent throughout.

The fact the final went ahead at all was to the credit of Maurice Leyland and the rest of the ground staff at Pembroke Dock, who prepared the Imble Lane ground immaculately at short notice after the original venue of Kilgetty was deemed unfit to play on.
 

First innings

Cresselly 78 for 4

After winning the toss, it was Arthur who elected to bat, as Cresselly did in the 2019 final against the same opponents.

And openers Lucy Johnson and Meg Arthur were clearly keen on getting the run rate up early on, as they ran aggressively between the wickets.

Indeed, after an early run out scare they proceeded to build steadily, sharing a stand of 52 with the only boundary coming when Johnson hooked a full toss from Rhiannon Morgan to the fence.

But in the 13th over the tide turned after the pair took one risky single too many and Llawella Scale instigated the run out of Johnson for 27. It was particularly sharp work from Scale considering she arrived moments before the start of play after only finished a work night shift at 7am that morning.

No 3 Eleri Williams fell in the same fashion after Ffion Ashman hit the stumps with a super diving throw and as the scoring stalled, Meg Arthur then tried to advance down the track to Olivia James only to be bowled for 23.

More good work from Ashman saw a third run out as Teagan Cartwright came and went, and in the end it was skipper Lauren (8 not out) who picked up useful late runs to take the total to 78-4.

Burton 132 for 3

Cresselly’s total began to look a modest one though as Burton openers Finola Scale and Rhiannon Morgan started with real intent.

Scale hit a third ball boundary off Eleri Williams as her first over went for 11, and the score moved quickly to 32 when in the fifth over, Scale (14) was caught by Lauren Arthur off the bowling of namesake Meg.

That brought in Lilly Thomas who played a useful cameo with three fours to reach 12 before being bowled by Lucy Johnson, and Morgan made 15 before falling in the same manner to Arthur.

The latter proved the pick of the bowlers with 2-12 in four overs but at 59-3, it was Llawella Scale and Rebecca Barton who really put Burton in command with an unbeaten stand of 73.

Scale in particular was constantly looking to keep Cresselly on the back foot as she struck four fours and exploited any gaps in the field to finish 42 not out.

Barton also kept things ticking to end unbeaten on 23 and with the Cresselly attack also racking up 25 extras, Burton looked firmly in control as they took a 54 run lead into the tea interval.
 

Second innings

 

Cresselly 96 for 3

To Cresselly’s credit they came out intent on wiping out the deficit as Johnson and Eleri Williams tried to push singles before the latter pulled a James delivery through mid-wicket for four, and then grabbed another boundary by hammering Ashman to cow corner.

But again it was Llawella Scale who checked momentum, this time with the ball, as she responded to being hit for four by Johnson by having her well caught by Ashman very next ball for 18.

That left matters at 45-1 and Meg Arthur came in and tried to keep things ticking, with her and Williams (22) adding 26 before the latter also fell to Scale, with the aid of a neat stumping from keeper Barton.

Lauren Arthur then led a charmed life early on as she was dropped twice in successive balls from Scale before she was then bowled by James for 3, but namesake Meg (29 not out) and Cartwright (6 not out) gave Cresselly a glimmer of hope as they finished on 96-3, a lead of 42.
 

Burton 43 for 0

To have any chance Cresselly needed to strike early but Finola Scale and James were in no mood to let up, and the pair stroked the ball around sensibly to get the job done in eight overs.

Scale made 23 not out and James was unbeaten on 15 when with the scores tied, the game ended in amusing fashion as Lauren Arthur seemingly bowled her opposite number – only for umpire Steve Williams to signal a no ball and confirm Burton’s victory.

The post-match presentations were carried out by Sam Rossiter of Hook CC, and she expressed her gratitude that the competition was able to be played after there appeared little hope earlier this summer.

She also thanked umpires, scorers, and Pembroke Dock CC, and presented the silverware to Olivia James before announcing Llawella Scale as the Player of the Match Award winner.

It rounded off what has been shortened but positive season of local ladies’ cricket, although teams can now look forward to the annual softball festival that is due to take place at Imble Lane on Saturday, September 5th.

SCORECARDS

First innings

Cresselly Batting
Meg Arthur b Olivia James 23
Lucy Johnson run out (Llawella scale) 27
Eleri Williams run out (Ffion Ashman) 6
Lauren Arthur not out 8
Teagan Cartwright run out (Ffion Ashman) 0
Jess Gibby not out 0
Extras: 14.
Total: 78 (for 4 wickets) in 20 overs.
Bowling: Lilly Thomas 4-0-0-10; Olivia James 4-0-1-12; Ffion Ashman 4-0-0-9; Rhiannon Morgan 2-0-0-14; Llawella Scale 4-0-0-17; Anna Ridge 2-0-0-9.

Burton Batting
Finola Scale ct Lauren Arthur b Megan Arthur 14
Rhiannon Morgan b Megan Arthur 15
Lilly Thomas b Lucy Johnson 12
Llawella Scale not out 42
Rebecca Barton not out 24
Extras: 25
Total: 132 (for 3 wickets) in 20 overs.
Cresselly Bowling: Eleri Williams 3-0-0-25; Lucy Johnson 4-0-1-19; Megan Arthur 4-0-2-12; Lauren Arthur 4-0-0-20; Lucy Neale 1-0-0-12; Teagan Cartwright 2-0-0-16; Chelsea Morris 1-0-0-6; Jess Gibby 1-0-0-12.
 

Second innings

Cresselly Batting
Lucy Johnson ct Ffion Ashman b Llawella Scale 18
Eleri Williams st Rebecca Barton b Llawella Scale 22
Meg Arthur not out 29
Lauren Arthur b Olivia James 3
Teagan Cartwright not out 6
Extras: 18.
Total: 96 (for 3 wickets) after 20 overs.
Burton Bowling: Lilly Thomas 4-0-0-21; Olivia James 4-0-1-17; Ffion Ashman 4-1-0-15; Rhiannon Morgan 2-0-0-8; Llawella Scale 4-0-2-23; Anna Ridge 2-0-0-6.

Burton Batting:
Finola Scale not out 23
Olivia James not out 15
Extras: 8.
Total: 43 (for no wickets) in 8 overs.
Cresselly Bowling: Lucy Johnson 4-0-0-20; Meg Arthur 2-0-0-12; Lauren Arthur 2-0-0-8.

Teams

Cresselly: Meg Arthur, Lucy Johnson, Eleri Williams, Lauren Arthur, Teagan Cartwright, Jess Gibby, Lucy Neale, Chelsea Morris, Jess Lewis, Helen McMillan, Zoe Minnet, Sophie Toy (12th).

Burton: Finola Scale, Rhiannon Morgan, Lilly Thomas, Llawella Scale, Rebecca Barton, Ffion Ashman, Bronwen Jones, Lauren Owens, Cerys Griffiths, Anna Ridge, Olivia James, Ella Williams (12th).