Haverfordwest Cricket Club

                         Dale Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1XP

                                                Tel: 01437 763615

Full details of the game can be found in the local press so this report takes the form of a diary of the day.

9.45 – Players and supporters begin to arrive at the club for breakfast. Players are all smartly dressed except Dai ‘the rebel’ Davies who looks set for a day on the beach. Andrew Phillips wins ‘best turned out player’ award.

9.46 – Daffy has his first Guinness of the day.

10.45 – Steve James breaks his own Harrison Allen final eating record by polishing off his 33^rd sausage of the morning.

11.10 – The bus gets ready to leave, the driver saves Adrian Griffiths’ skin by reminding him he has left the practice balls and stumps in the clubhouse.

11.55 – Arrive at Cresselly. The toss for the changing rooms has been lost in our absence and we are in the one with the ‘dodgy showers’.

12.10 – Players warm up by playing ‘2 touch football’. Simon Williams fails to comprehend the rules and takes 5 touches each time he gets the ball. Danny Potter sent off for foul and abusive language.

12.45 – Phil Kirkby caught smoking two fags at once. Informed the team that he had ditched his nicotine patch for the day. A bit like an alcoholic trying to stay on the wagon, but having a binge once a week!!

1.05 - Game gets underway with Haverfordwest making a steady start. Wicket a little slow after overnight rain and runs are hard to come by as Cresselly bowl well. Kirkby keeps his head to finish unbeaten on 48 with the 130 score considered reasonable in the conditions.

2.40 - After one over of the Cresselly innings, Dai Davies predicts that Haverfordwest are about 15-20 runs short.

4.00 – Cresselly end their innings 24 runs short after an excellent 4-11 spell by Stephen Phillips at the death.

4.30 – Haverfordwest discover that the Cresselly score has been increased by two during the tea interval. Clive Tucker suggests a quick resumption ‘before they pass us’!!

5.00 – Karl Rhead launches a vicious attack on the Cresselly bowlers as Haverfordwest reach 48 after 6 overs off their second innings.

5.20 – Phil Kirkby blocks 17 consecutive balls from Ryan Lewis as the fags begin to take their toll.

5.45 –Scriven hits a huge six as sages in the Haverfordwest camp marvel at his improved batting style.

5.46 – Scriven is stumped.

5.55 – Stephen Phillips hits the ball to all parts for a magnificent 62 not out off just 36 balls as Haverfordwest rack up a huge lead of 173.

6.15 – Tucker and Williams take an early wicket apiece as Cresselly struggle to make any headway in the first few overs. Tucker’s wicket (the dangerous Julian Arthur) comes courtesy of a great boundary catch by twinkle toed Matthew Johns.

6.45 – Simon Cole and Adam Chandler start to make some inroads into the target aided by the odd dropped catch and failed run-out attempt. The target at this stage is more than 10 an over but they keep achieving it.

7.32 – A superb effort by the two Cresselly batsmen comes to an end when Cole is finally dismissed by skipper Griffiths who follows it up with Chandler, Richards and Harries as he saves his best bowling form for the end of the match. The penultimate over from Griffiths was a masterclass in ‘death’ bowling as he left Cresselly with over 20 to get from Simon Williams’ final over.

7.55 – The celebrations begin as the Bowl is recaptured after an absence of 6 years. Griffiths pays tribute to the excellent support received by the side all day long.

8.20 – Adrian Griffiths is named man-of-the-match in a shock move as most neutrals expected the award to go to Andrew Phillips for his neatly compiled single in the second innings.

8.30 – In the changing room, a tired Haverfordwest side reflect on an excellent team performance which eventually got the better of an equally committed Cresselly. The game was played in an excellent spirit throughout and the Cresselly players deserve the highest praise for their attitude at the end of a match they came very close to winning.

Champagne Moment – Simon Cole, caught Potter, bowled Griffiths in the second innings, just in time to keep the town ahead of the game.