Haverfordwest 158 for 6 and 200 for 4 Beat Cresselly 168 for 7 and 185 for 10 by five runs

Who would want to be a man of the match adjudicator especially in a game as tight as Saturday’s Thomas Scourfield and Sons Harrison-Allen Bowl final?

In the end, Haverfordwest’s Simon Holliday won it for his remarkable, brutal, extemporary second innings hundred that came off just 59 balls yet his team mate Adam James could have had it too.

He took 5-34 in the second innings and four of those came in his last two overs. Some say, his bowling won them the game as Cresselly were cruising with Adam Chandler (80) and Matthew Morgan, playing his first game for the home team club this season, in fine form.

Others believe Morgan could have snared it as his scores of 61 in the first innings and 42 in the second helped Cresselly to a first innings lead and almost brought them to the brink of victory in the second, a win that would have been all the more remarkable considering their in-form batsman of the past few weeks, Iwan Izzard was at his sister’s wedding (to team mate Sion Jenkins), while Simon Cole, a man of the match recipient in the past, was out injured when he pulled a muscle while celebrating a wicket.

That injury came within the first few overs. He had to leave the field, only to return for the final ball of the game with six needed to win. He stood at the no-striker’s end, at square leg knowing full well his chance of making a difference had gone.

It was cruel for him and the club, but cricket is a cruel game. One minute you’re a star, the next a failure. Just ask Simon Holliday. He scored two in the first innings before he set the game alight in the second. One minute a flop, the next a hero.

Cresselly’s Sam Harts suffered a range of emotions too. His first three overs of the first innings went for just 10 runs, his next two, when the ball wasn’t swinging so much were hit for 28.

His second innings figures were 1-58 off six.

The crowd was down for the game with many staying away as a protest against what they perceived to be an injustice, thinking that Haverfordwest shouldn’t have been there in the first instance believing they played an ineligible player in earlier rounds.

The protesters missed out. Everyone who didn’t turn up did, it was a sensational game.

Cresselly should have won it; even some Haverfordwest players said that. They led after the first innings by ten runs and even without Simon Cole and Izzard they still had enough fire-power to overhaul the Town’s total in the second, needing 191 to win; although they feared Adam James.

They tried to win the game against the so-called lesser bowlers, giving their wickets away when well-set. Caught in the deep, despite cruising at the required rate, doing what they do best, but pressure has a strange effect on people and it told in the end.

James was superb, bowling full and fast and even though Cresselly handled him well earlier on, trying to force runs off him will only result in one winner as his final figures proved.

The number of teams playing cricket in Pembrokeshire is declining, but when you see games like this you have to question why.

From Ryan Lewis’s (47) pyrotechnics in the first innings to Simon Holliday’s in the second, to the misfortune suffered by Cole early on, this game had it all.

It was close, it was tight it had quality and despair, but above all it showed what a great game Pembrokeshire cricket can be.

After the match, County Club chairman Tony Scourfield congratulated both teams on reaching the final and Haverfordwest for winning the competition.

He thanked head groundsman Richard Arthur and the rest of the Cresselly ground staff for their efforts in preparing the pitch, which produced such good cricket.

In addition, he thanked the umpires and scorers for the way in which they carried out their duties, the ladies who had provided such an excellent tea and Paul Webb for operating the excellent public address system.

He also thanked Mr. Hugh Harrison-Allen for sponsoring the tea, as he does each year, and the competition sponsors, Thomas Scourfield and Sons for their invaluable financial support.

He added that he was most grateful to all the members of the county executive committee for their work in connection with the final, plus the local media for their cricket coverage.

He also thanked the supporters of both teams and majority of spectators for the way in which they behaved, but he did express his disappointment at the chanting of the word ‘cheat’ by some spectators.

Mr. Scourfield said that the chanting incident would be investigated by the County Club, it should not have happened in the Harrison-Allen Bowl final and he apologised personally to Adeel Khan .

Mr. Hugh Harrison-Allen presented the magnificent Harrison-Allen Bowl to a delighted Danny Potter, the Haverfordwest captain, and medals were presented to both teams by Mr. Hugh Harrison-Allen and the County Club president, Mr. David Morris, the former Cresselly cricketer.

Commemorative medals were also presented to the umpires David Brandon, of Moylegrove, and Richard Merriman, of Whitland Cricket Club, together with medals to the two scorers Jayne Cole, of Haverfordwest, and Teagan Cartwright, of Cresselly.

Adjudicators Mike Brace, of Carew, and John Laugharne, of Neyland, nominated Haverfordwest all-rounder Simon Holliday as the man of the match.

In making the announcement, Mr. Brace said that it had been made for his general contribution, particularly his match winning century in the Haverfordwest second innings..

He was presented with the John Cole Memorial man of the match trophy by Glyn Cole, of Cresselly.

Chanting Incident

Unfortunately, a small section of the crowd started shouting the word ‘cheat’ at one of the Haverfodwest players when the Town side were fielding.

The chanting started when Adeel Khan came on to bowl for Haverfordwest. The player had moved to Haverfordwest to work during the season after playing league cricket for another club outside Pembrokeshire.

He wanted to play cricket for the Haverfordwest club and his transfer request was agreed by the county executive committee.

The decision triggered a controversy throughout the county as many clubs regarded it as a breach of the rules in the county handbook.

The player himself has done nothing wrong and any criticism or adverse comments should have been directed to the County Club and not to Adeel Khan.

The cricketer simply wants to play cricket for any of the four teams at the Haverfordwest club.

Apart from that unfortunate incident, the general behaviour of the crowd was exemplary.

Officers of the County Cricket Club

Commenting to Observer, the following day, Mr. Scourfield said: “The County Club would welcome applications from any cricketers who would like to put their names forward for nomination to a particular office or on one of the committees of the County Club.

“The annual general meeting will be held in February 2017, so now is the time for any person interested in Pembrokeshire cricket to start thinking about nomination and to canvass support.

“If anyone takes up the opportunity, successful candidates would have a voice at committee meetings and would have the chance to influence decision making in all aspects of the County Club’s various activities.”