Western Telegraph Match Report, .




Neyland Match Report

Neyland vs Hook. League, Saturday 25th July 2009. Umpires: David Loosemore & Huw Davies.
Hook visited the Athletic Ground without two of their key betsmen, Ben Field and Jamie Phelps, and so coupled with Neyland looking forward to a Harrison-Allen final the following week, the home side were in confident mood. Neyland duly won the toss and opted to field first. Captain Andrew Miller arrived just in time for the first ball, fresh from his drubbing in the Pembrokeshire Tennis Singles final, and was immediately set upon with consoling taunts of 'Tim Henman' and numerous laughs and jeers over the scoreline. Thanks team!
As play commenced the batsmen requested a couple of cars be moved due to the glare from the sun from the windscreen, but were given short shrift by one individual who shall remain nameless, giving his best impression of a 'Kevin and Perry' character for not the first time this season, asking 'What?! - is it that hard to cover it with a towel yourself!' while flapping his hands up and down for dramatic effect. Fortunately other Neyland players were a little more willing to help out!
Back to the action, and a lot now rested on the shoulders of Ross Martin, the one remaining quality batsman in the Hook line-up, but after one good shot in the first over he drove at a ball from Durrant which angled across him, caught the outside edge, and was brilliantly caught one handed low to his right by Gary Lloyd at first slip. It was as if the Gaj had never been away!
Durrant then removed Hook number 3 Matthew Rowlands, well caught by Ashley Sutton at mid wicket, giving Henry excellent figures of 2 for 11 from his 7 over stint.
Andrew Miller then bowled Tom Blaxland for 5 coutesy of an inside edge, as the run rate slowed to a snail's pace. Brennan Lay then tried to break the stranglehold with a powerful stroke to cow corner off Miller, but Paul Murray ran around from long on and held another brilliant one-handed catch on the boundary. Patrick Hannon bowled 10 very tidy overs for only 8 runs, and Hook had reached only 26 for 4 at drinks after 23 overs.
Mick Haltam then tried to pick up the pace but only seemed to be able to find the outside edge from Miller's leg spin, initially looping a few into space between nearly every fielder on the off side, and was then put down at point from another such effort. Miller finished with fine figures of 2 for 18 from 11 overs. Gary Lloyd bowled tightly and had his reward when he bowled Matthew Holder for 9. Phil Davies then started from the football pitch end and Haltam went on the attack, launching two big straight sixes. But after conceeding 26 runs from his first 4 overs Davies came back well, bowling Haltam for 35, and then removing Goronwy and Jack Britton via catches from Ashley Sutton and Nick Koomen respectively.
Davies finished with 3 for 32 from 7 overs, and Lloyd returned to 1st team league action for the first time in the season with good figures of 1 for 21 from 9 overs.
Ashley Sutton completed the innings by taking the final Hook wicket with his second ball, as Jack Britton was caught behind by Koomen for 2, leaving Hook with a disappointing 93 all out.
Murray and John opened for Neyland after tea and any hopes Hook may have had of a revival were soon vanquished by Murray, as Neyland raced to 29 from the first 5 overs. Matthew Rowlands then managed to slow the scoring rate a little, but a few overs later Murray was back on the offensive, striking three big sixes, including one onto the swimming pool roof, and 8 fours on his way to a highly impressive 61 not out, a great warm up before the Cup final. At the other end Scott John managed to protect his season's average with a watchful 12 not out. Neyland had reached 94 without loss in only 21.4 overs.

League table following the comfortable home win over Hook: