Cresselly win Carew
crunch clash
By Huw Turbervill
It was meant to be the crunch match that
made the Rumble in the Jungle look like a
game of pat-a-cake, but actually the sting
had been drawn out of the encounter by a
winter of football and beer.
You recall the story. Carew captain Brian
Hall declared on 18 for 1 in last summer’s
Pembroke County Cricket Club Division
One title decider. Cresselly overhauled
the target easily to take 20 points (making
24 for 1), but were denied the chance to
gain the minimum 22 they needed to pip
Carew, or 21 to draw level. Carew kept
their title but were forcibly relegated.
The world and his wife rushed on to
Twitter to deliver a ton of opprobrium on
Carew, Stephen Fry leading the charge.
The sides were then drawn together in
the National Village Cup Dyfed group.
Would there be trouble? Thankfully not.
There was no needle, friction nor even
much banter. Both sides were keen to let
the matter rest. Moralists will perhaps
be pleased to hear that Cresselly won by
nine wickets.
“The villages are only two miles apart,”
Carew secretary Nick Scourfield told
The Cricketer. “There is a lot of history
and rivalry between the clubs, of course,but then over the winter about seven or
eight Cresselly players join up again with
Carew FC. All the tension and bad feeling
went and this match was played in a very
good spirit. It’s gone, as far both sides are
concerned. Cricket Wales emailed us to
say they would like to appoint neutral
umpires, but the two teams agreed we
would do what we always do, and ask
Pembroke CC to provide two.”
Carew made 168, opener Scourfield
himself carrying his bat for 76. He and
Tim Hicks had posted 75 in 14 overs for
the opening wicket, but off-spinner Mike
Shaw put the brakes on the hosts with
four wickets. A dentist, Shaw was filling in
(ahem) for his first game of the season.
Cresselly made short work of their
target, winning by nine wickets thanks to
half-centuries by Adam Chandler and
Iwan Izzard.
Despite wishing to forget last summer’s
furore, Scourfield still feels relegation was
harsh. “We did not contravene the rules,
or even the Laws of cricket, although of
course I understand that people felt we
went against the spirit of cricket.
“When you look at what Australia did in
the winter... to have what we did ruled by the
Pembroke league as a level 4 offence... I am
still struggling to understand that. It should
have been punished, perhaps, but maybe
it was done in the wrong way...
“We’d told the umpires before the game
what we were planning on doing, and
Cresselly knew that if they won the toss
and bowled there was a chance we would
do it. Our captain Brian is suspended for
11 league games out of 18. Fortunately we
are on track for promotion, after winning
our first seven games. I am not sure teams
in Division Two are all that delighted
with the ruling. We started one match at
1.30pm and we had won it by 3.10.”
Elsewhere in the competition, big
scores – which tend to become more
scarce as the competition progresses
with sides’ abilities levelling out – werestill on show in the Cumbria region. High
scores are not always a reflection on the
opposition, individual brilliance counts
for just as much.
Read posted 357 for 2 against Tarleton
with youngster Bradley Graham walloping
184 not out from 110 balls. There were 17
fours and 10 sixes hit in his knock. He was
ably supported by his three team-mates
who all contributed scores of 46 or more.
Thomas Turner the most able support
with a 26-ball 54 to finish the innings off.
Fifteen-year-old Sophia Turner, who
has been making local headlines, opened
the bowling as Tarleton set about chasing
the target. No.3 Paul Higham attempted
his own theatrics – he matched Graham’s
17 fours in his 102 but it was all in vain as
his side finished their 40 overs on 209 for- Read lost to Lindal Moor in the regional
final, who beat Shireshead & Forton.
In Northamptonshire, hearts sank as
dreams of headlines reading ‘Silverstone
in pole position’ or ‘Silverstone race past
opposition’ were dashed as the cricket
club lost to Barby. Barby posted an
imposing 264 for 4. Silverstone were not
able to move through the gears in their
chase; they were dismissed for 134.
Champion-slayers Langleybury won
the Beds & Herts group and will face
in-form Worlington who triumphed over
East Bergholt in Essex & Suffolk final.
Worlington hit their second score of over
300 in the tournament with an opening
stand of 260. This follows on from the
308 partnership for the first wicket in
their first match. Liphook & Ripsley made
it back-to-back Hampshire titles after
overcoming Easton & Martyr Worthy.
In round 3 Robbie Mouland hit 117 from
58 balls as Glynde & Beddingham eased
past Newenden. Mouland won the Gunn
& Moore performance of the round for
his efforts. Glynde came unstuck in the
regional finals against Mayfield.
The first national round takes place on
June 24. CRESSELLY
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