Western Telegraph Match Report, 23rd August 2006.
Neyland Match Report
Neyland vs Whitland. League fixture, Saturday 26th August 2006. Umpires: -The final game of the season and the seconds sit 1 from bottom of the PCCC 3rd Division, 13 Points adrift of Camrose+Spital and 15 of Maenclochog. All this in mind they travel to current second in the table Whitland 2nds knowing nothing but a convincing win, will save them from relegation.
Arriving at a damp and gloomy Whitland ground Neyland were decidedly pleased to win a rare toss and lost no time in inviting the home side to bat. This proved early to be the right decision after Paul Webb and Eddie John found it tough to score. Jones (John) and Ian Charles bowled well in tandem and Paul Webb fell early to the boomerang swing bowling of Jones. He failed to trouble the scorers. Colin joined Eddie at the crease and while the Whitland innings progressed it did so slowly. Boundaries were hard to come by and although Neyland were failing to take the wicket they craved the game seemed at every stage to be going their way.
With the 15 over mark passed and the Whitland score failing to stretch to 50 Jones was replaced at the road end by Dunsford (fresh from his Ibiza vacation) and the extra pace he brought to the attack very nearly claimed a wicket immediately. A straight delivery was lofted to mid off and the simplest of catches, (one catchable, in fairness, by the majority of our grandparents), was promptly dropped by the Neyland big cat Martin Jones.
Tight spells from all the Neyland bowlers followed and Whitland were restricted to 167 for 7 , a score Neyland believed from the off to be achievable. Crucially though it was one which gave the visitors the possibility of a near maximum 28 points.
Neyland opened with their regulars Martin Jones and Nicholas Kooman and the start they provided could not have been better. Both scored in excess of 30 before Kooman fell to S Harries and Martin quickly followed, edging one behind off the bowling of Davies. Paul Miller came and went manageing only 9 and This brought Phillip Sutton and John Jones together at the crease. The pair never faltered and looked comfortable from the beginning. Both stayed the course to guide Neyland to victory. Jones finished not out on 34 And Sutton not out on 46.
The Win for Neyland ensured the team survived in division 3 while it also ensure Whitland remained there. Their seconds missing out on promotion by a few points as Fishguard and Lechrydd were promoted.