HAVERFORDWEST won the Harrison Allen Bowl on Saturday (August 31), after they beat Lawrenny in a thrilling final played in Cresselly.

Overnight and early morning rain had threatened to delay the start of the game but the sterling work of the Cresselly groundsmen ensured the game would start on time.

It was Lawrenny who batted first after Town won the toss and chose to bowl.

Kurtis Marsh and Brad McDermott-Jenkins got Lawrenny going with some fine hitting as the pair shared 93 runs for the first wicket.

Those runs came inside the first ten overs but it was Marsh who departed as he saw his shot caught by Mike Jones giving Simon Holliday his first wicket of the day.

McDermott-Jenkins then reached his half century as he and Harry Thomas continued to pile on the runs, taking Lawrenny past 150.

Brad had smashed his way to a score of 76 but then saw himself bowled by Lee Summons.

Town then began to hit back as Summons bowled James Phillips before Adam James did the same to Ryan Morton and Joe Kidney.

Harry Thomas finished unbeaten on 53 however as Lawrenny’s opening 22 overs came to a close with them on 192-5.

Town knew they would need to bat well if they were to keep the lead down, or even build a lead.

They made a blistering start too, Adam James reaching his half century in just the sixth over.

Lawrenny then made the breakthrough as Brad McDermott-Jenkins caught and bowled Simon Holliday on a score of 10.

James Buckle then took an excellent catch to dismiss Danny Potter and give McDermott-Jenkins his second wicket.

At the start of the ninth over, James smashed three big sixes in a row but then saw himself caught by McDermott-Jenkins on 84 as Marsh picked up the crucial wicket.

Marsh then bowled Dai Davies and McDermott-Jenkins then bowled Dan Field to leave the Town on 96-5.

Lee Summons and Jake Merry looked to rebuild and the pair shared 25 runs for the sixth wicket.

Merry then walked down the pitch to play a shot but missed and he couldn’t get back in time as James Phillips knocked the bails off to give Marsh his third wicket.

Mike Jones was then caught by James Buckle off the bowling of Ryan Morton and Archie Thomas was caught by Morton off the bowling of Rob Williams.

Jack Scriven then edged behind to Phillips and with the penultimate ball, Clive Tucker was run out by Buckle.

That left Summons not out on 25 but Town had been bowled out for 149, giving Lawrenny a lead of 43 at the half-way stage.

Marsh and McDermott-Jenkins began again for Lawrenny as they looked to increase their lead.

However, in the second over, Town got the early wicket they wanted as Tucker bowled McDermott-Jenkins.

Marsh was joined in the middle by Harry Thomas and the pair batted well together taking the lead past 100.

They put on 64 runs for the second wicket but Holliday made the breakthrough as he had Thomas caught by Adam James on a score of 33.

Town then struck again as James Phillips hit the ball to Mike Jones who clung on to give Holliday his second wicket.

Holliday then had another as he had Steve Lewis caught by Adam James and he soon had a fourth as he had Joe Kidney caught by Jake Merry.

That left Lawrenny on 91-5 after 14 overs and their lead was only 134.

Holliday wasn’t finished there either as he then ran out James Buckle who had set off for a run that wasn’t there.

Marsh then reached his half century but then saw Ryan Morton trapped leg before by Adam James on a score of 15.

Marsh made his way to a score of 58 but then missed as he came down the wicket for a shot and was stumped by Scriven.

That left Lawrenny on 130-8 with their lead on 173.

Skeels hit a six but a mix up with Tom Cole saw the latter run out by Archie Thomas.

Thomas then had Rob Williams caught by Jake Merry as Lawrenny were bowled out for 143.

That meant that Town would need 187 to win their tenth Bowl title and they would need to go some too to do it.

James and Holliday did indeed go some as the pair shared 104 runs off the first ten overs with some excellent hitting.

Holliday reached a score of 43 but then saw himself caught and bowled by McDermott-Jenkins.

James had smashed his way to a score of 81 from only 44 balls but he was then caught by Ryan Morton off the bowling of McDermott-Jenkins.

That left the Town on 129-2 but Danny Potter and Archie Thomas shared twenty runs for the third wicket.

Morton bowled Thomas but Danny Potter and Dai Davies continued to put runs on the board as the game went down to the wire.

Potter and Davies both cracked maximums as Town edged closer to a remarkable victory.

Potter finished not out on 37 while Davies hit the winning four to finish not out on 15 and spark scenes of celebrations amongst Town players and supporters.

It was a cracking final and a great advert for Pembrokeshire cricket and Lawrenny will feel desperately unlucky to have missed out two years in a row.

Town captain Danny Potter claimed the Bowl for the third time as Captain and for the tenth time in the club’s history.

Adam James was named man of the match shortly after for his knocks of 86 off 33 in the first innings and 81 off 44 in the second.