Neyland Match Report

Neyland vs StIshmaels. Harrison-Allen Bowl, Thursday 21st May 2009. Umpires: Les Hastings & Arthur Brady.
After rain delayed this fixture from the previous evening, Neyland won the toss and opted to bat first. As usual for these fixtures there was a pretty good crowd, with StIshmaels bringing a good contingent doubtless hoping for a repeat of last years cup victory. And Neyland were soon in trouble as Ashley Sutton departed for only 3, and Paul Murray departed very shortly afterwards for 0, both bowled by StIshmaels paceman James Salter, leaving Neyland precariously placed on 5 for 2.
Andrew Miller joined Scott John and smashed his first delivery from Salter through the covers for four. Miller and John then set about rebuilding the Neyland innings, taking the score to a more reasonable 27 for 2 after 8 overs. Kimpton and Flynn then replaced Salter and Andrew Palmer in the attack, and the total advanced nicely to 47 for 2 off 12 as Miller found himself taking most of the strike, and surviving a couple of difficult chances. Kimpton's next over went for 17 as John got stuck into him, with a couple of firmly struck boundaries, and StIshmaels began to look a little ragged. Miller continued to punish anything lose from Flynn as he continued to score freely. Shortly after depositing one delivery into the rugby field for six, John advised Miller to look for the vacant long on and long off areas next time, and Miller smashed the following full toss straight, but straight to bowler Flynn, and departed for 41, leaving Neyland well placed on 80 for 3 in the 16th over.
Jeremy Charles replaced Miller and two overs later he demonstated his powerful strokeplay with a six to long off from Flynn's off spin. This took Neyland to 96 off 18 overs, which subsequently became 121 off 21, as both John and Charles batted well, John accelerating towards the finish with a nice six to long on off the returning Salter before he departed during the 21st over for an excellent 42.
Charles ensured Neyland achieved a daunting total as he smashed a four and six from the final over of the innings, before he was stumped, Phil Davies went first ball to give Salter his fourth wicket, and Gregg Miller and Nicholas Koomen maintained the momentum in the final deliveries as Neyland closed on 141 for 6.
After the break Neyland opened with Phil Davies' off spin from the clubhouse end, and Gregg Miller. The pair bowled well and the Tish openers of Andrew Palmer (fresh from scoring 70 at the weekend) and Andrew Williams opened cautiously. Miller missed a difficult return chance, and also watched an easy opportunity dropped at point, but Neyland were not overly concerned as when Phil Davies finally struck to remove Palmer in his final over, caught by Gregg, Tish had only reached 39 for 1 off 11 overs. Palmer had scored 27 of those runs, with a couple of nice arial drives down the ground, while Andrew Williams had struggled to get going. Miller bowled a decent spell to concede only 21 runs from his 5 overs, and Davies added to his string of excellent figures in the cup competitions, with 1 for 17 off 6 overs.
This brought danger man Johnny Pawlett to the crease. His big hitting had taken the game away from Neyland in the previous year, but he was under more pressure this time around and had not had the best of starts to the season. And he was soon on his way back to the changing rooms as Scott John bowled him for just 6 runs. Andrew Williams departed shortly afterwards and the Tish innings was in big trouble at 53 for 3 after 14, requiring over 10 runs per over for the last 8 overs. This left Stewart Kimpton and Peter Bradshaw at the crease, the last of the Tish recognised batsmen. Neyland succeeded to contain the Tish batsmen to 78 from 17 overs, and the game appeared to be in the bag, but Bradshaw had other ideas as he brutally punished Jeremy Charles' fourth over, the 18th of the innings, taking 25 runs from it as he smashed two sixes and three fours, mostly between long off and cow corner.
This reduced the requirement to 39 from the last 4 overs, and suddenly Tish were back in the game, but Scott John steadied the ship by conceding only 6 from the following over, in which he also removed the dangerous Bradshaw, and Charles held his nerve to return with a very good fifth over from which only 5 runs came. The final two overs saw Neyland bowl and field well, with 3 run outs, as a desperate Tish lower order failed to make any impact and the innings closed on 128 for 7. Bradshaw scored 37, and Kimpton finished on 31 not out, made up of lots of 1's and 2's, with two boundaries. Scott John returned figures of 2 for 35 from 5 overs, and Jeremy Charles finished with 1 for 53 from 6.
Neyland were obviously delighted with the win over the 2007 champions, which kept the season alive on all fronts, and allowed them to look forward to a second round tie home to Llanrhian on the 3rd June.