THE SECOND round of fixtures in the Thomas Carroll Pembroke County Cricket League delivered high scores, thrilling finishes and standout individual performances across all six divisions.

Division 1 saw a commanding display from Cresselly, who defeated Burton by 68 runs. Cresselly posted 299-7, with Morgan Lewis scoring 69 and Kyle Quartermaine adding 43. Burton replied with 231-5, Toby Hayman top scoring with 63.

Carew continued their strong start, overcoming Whitland by 28 runs. Tim Hicks scored 67 for Carew while Rhys Davies contributed 42 and took 3-15. Whitland’s reply fell short despite 46 from Jonathan Thomas.

Saundersfoot pulled off an emphatic nine-wicket win over Haverfordwest, chasing down 257-5 thanks to a stunning 142 not out from Simon Stanford.

Neyland defeated Herbrandston by 50 runs, led by 67 from Ross Hardy and 62 from Paul Murray. Hardy and Andrew Miller also chipped in with wickets.

Lawrenny secured a seven-wicket win against Llangwm, chasing down 141 with unbeaten knocks from Harry Thomas (53) and Finley Lewis (41).

Division 1 – Top 5 Standings (After Week 2)

In Division 2, Pembroke crushed Burton II by 110 runs. Jack Harries made 87 and Richard Pulman took 3-12 as Pembroke defended 217 with ease.

Narberth beat St Ishmaels by 30 runs after Jamie McCormack’s 51 helped set a defendable total.

Llechryd posted 234-5 to beat Llanrhian by 67 runs, thanks to John Curran’s century and four wickets from Ffion Cartwright.

Cresselly II chased down 233 against Johnston, with Ryan Lewis scoring an unbeaten 66. Johnston’s Lewis Boswell struck 115 in a losing effort.

Hook held their nerve to defend 206-9 against Carew II, with Harry Makepeace returning 4-39.

In Division 3, Fishguard chased down 239 to beat Laugharne by seven wickets. Nigel, Scott and Matthew Delaney all passed fifty in a dominant batting display.

Hundleton bowled out Lamphey for 91 before cruising to victory with three wickets down. Leighton O’Connor starred with 3-9 and 23 runs.

Kilgetty defeated Haverfordwest II by 36 runs, with Jack Badham scoring 59 and taking 3-33.

Hook II dismissed Neyland II for just 64 and chased the target in 10 overs. Bradley Flood took 6-15.

Pembroke Dock defeated Stackpole by 8 wickets, with Euan McDonald claiming 5-22.

Division 3 – Top 5 Standings (After Week 2)

Division 4 featured dominant wins for the early frontrunners. Saundersfoot II beat Lawrenny II by 86 runs after a remarkable spell of 7-12 by Phasant Gautam.

Pembroke II cruised to a nine-wicket win over Carew III, with Charlie Perkins hitting 54 not out.

Crymych beat Haverfordwest III by 25 runs, Llanrhian II edged past Llangwm II by 4 wickets, and Narberth II beat St Ishmaels II by four wickets.

In Division 5, Llechryd II beat Cresselly III by 48 runs. Philip Carter made 73, while Joseph Davies returned 4-21 for Cresselly.

Whitland II chased 91 to beat Haverfordwest IV, with Steffan Lee scoring an unbeaten 55.

Pembroke Dock II won a thrilling contest by one run against Herbrandston II, with Anton John scoring 77.

Hundleton II easily chased down Neyland III’s 106, with Stuart Midgeley scoring 69 not out.

Division 6 saw a dramatic collapse as Kilgetty II were bowled out for just 36 by Haverfordwest/Cresselly, who won by 87 runs. George Richards took 3-12.

Pembroke III beat Lamphey II by nine wickets, with Toby Bradley-Watson making 71 not out.

Llechryd III dismissed Whitland III for 23 and chased the target for the loss of two wickets.

Top Individual Performances – Week 2

Division Leaders – After Week 2

*Llechryd III has played one game.

Spectators line the waterway to watch Cleddau race in glorious weather

THE WATERS of Milford Haven came alive on Saturday (May 3) as the Cleddau Waterski Race brought high-speed action to the Haven estuary.

Organised by Neyland Yacht Club in partnership with UK Waterski Racing, the event saw elite racers and powerful boats tackle a challenging course stretching from Hazelbeach Port Hand Mark to the Cleddau Bridge.

Racing began at 11:00am and continued into the afternoon, with six heats run in an anticlockwise direction. Mariners were warned to steer clear of the exclusion zones enforced during the event, with safety vessels monitoring traffic on VHF Channels 37/M1 and 12.

Spectators lined the shoreline at Milford Marina and Neyland Promenade, where the best views of the racing were on offer. With sunny skies and calm conditions, the crowds were treated to fast, loud and spectacular watersport action.

A spokesperson for Neyland Yacht Club said: “It’s great to see so many people enjoying the racing. The support helps us continue to grow the event and bring waterskiing back to the forefront in West Wales.”

The event is seen as a warm-up to this summer’s P1 Welsh Grand Prix of the Sea, which returns to Milford Haven on July 15–16. That major international powerboat and jet ski racing competition is expected to draw up to 15,000 visitors to the area.

Further information on local watersports events and upcoming races can be found at: www.milfordwaterfront.co.uk/whats-on

Fast and furious: A water-skier speeds past Neyland Marina on Saturday (Pic: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Liverpool have claimed victory in the 2024-25 Premier League season after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield on 27 April. This was the side’s first title since the 2019-20 season, and their 20th top-flight title in total. This now puts them on par with close rivals Manchester United. 

The last time the side claimed the trophy was during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time where fans weren’t allowed to attend matches – making this year’s victory all the more special, as the team finally got to celebrate alongside their supporters at Anfield. 

Let’s go through some of the major elements that led the club’s victorious campaign. 

Key players

Liverpool’s road to victory wouldn’t have been possible without some key players. Most notably, Mohamed Salah was a crucial cog in the system. He’s scored an outstanding 27 goals and notched 18 assists throughout the campaign so far. Liverpool fans will be thrilled that the ‘Egyptian King’ has signed a new contract for at least another two years. 

Similarly, Virgil van Dijk has been a rock at the back this season, whilst full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold – who performed exceptionally despite a mid-season injury, and Andrew Robertson provided Liverpool with some much-needed width. Liverpool fans will hope that local boy Trent Alexander-Arnold follows the lead of Salah and van Dijk and commits to a new deal at the club. However, it looks increasingly likely that he may leave and join Real Madrid in the summer. 

New management

Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool’s manager and his debut season evidently had a positive effect on the team. Slot’s tactical decision making and ability to build on predecessor Jurgen Klopp’s efforts instead of reworking them entirely is one of the major contributors to Liverpool’s win this season. 

Rather than relying on the transfer market, Slot placed emphasis on evolving the team that he inherited, allowing the players to maintain the relationships they have built on the field over the years. 

Expectations for Liverpool coming into the season

Initially, Liverpool weren’t considered as major title challengers this season, with bookies pitting them at 9/1 to win the league. But, as the season progressed and Liverpool’s increasingly strong performances gave them some momentum, their odds shortened as they grew closer to becoming strong title contenders. After their 2-0 win against Manchester City in late February, the side secured stronger odds, at 1/21 to lift the trophy. 

The future is promising for Liverpool

Despite poor domestic seasons, Manchester City and Arsenal are likely to retain great odds to win the title in the coming years. Plus, both are likely to further strengthen over the summer. However, now Liverpool have proven their credentials and it’s likely that their odds coming into the next season will be much more favourable. 

Liverpool’s consistently impressive performances, alongside Slot’s tactical and disciplined management, led them to victory and the team seems to be set up for similar successes in the future. As a result, Liverpool are certainly a side to watch out for. 

Looking to place a bet on your favourites for the 2025-26 season? Whether you think City can rebound or Liverpool will go back-to-back, you should consider the opinions of expert tipsters before you place your bet. With a site such as MightyTips.com, you could get a little extra expertise that can help remove the emotion and improve your chances of placing a winning bet.