RAIN played a major part in Week 2 of the Nicholas Insurance Thomas Carroll Pembroke County Cricket League, with several Division 1 fixtures abandoned after strong first-innings performances.

Carew made the biggest statement in the top flight, cruising to a ten-wicket win over St Ishmaels to move clear at the top of the table.

St Ishmaels were bowled out for 110, with Tim Hicks (3-18), Shaun Whitfield (3-14) and Logan Hall (2-27) doing the damage. Carew then eased to 111-0, Hicks completing an outstanding all-round display with 55 not out, alongside Morgan Grieve’s unbeaten 54.

Elsewhere, Narberth piled up 301-7 before rain intervened against Herbrandston, Jamie McCormack hitting a superb 104. Lawrenny (297-7) and Burton (203-7) also posted big totals before the weather had the final say.

Division 1 results

Division 1 table

Johnston lead strong Division 2 pack

Johnston sit top after a dominant 135-run win over Llangwm, powered by Lewis Boswell’s 99 and Steve Mills’ 62.

Hook maintained their perfect start, edging Haverfordwest by four wickets, while Cresselly II brushed aside Llechryd by nine wickets after bowling them out for just 41.

Division 2 results

Division 2 table

Kilgetty and Carew II lead Division 3 race

Kilgetty and Carew II are locked together at the top after two wins from two.

Lamphey produced one of the standout performances of the week, hammering Burton II by 155 runs, while Laugharne continued their unbeaten start.

Division 3 table

Narberth II lead Division 4

Narberth II sit top after a five-wicket win over Neyland II, thanks to Jordan Howell’s unbeaten 88.

Hook II edged a thriller by one wicket, while Haverfordwest III also maintained a perfect start.

Division 4 table

Rowlands ton headlines Division 5

Tom Rowlands’ superb 108 guided Cresselly III to victory, while Llanrhian II remain joint top after a crushing win featuring Rick Walton’s remarkable 8-13.

Division 5 table

Lamphey II top Division 6

Lamphey II lead the way after edging a tight contest against Haverfordwest IV, while Whitland III produced a dominant win over Neyland III.

Division 6 table

AMMAN United rounded off a difficult Division 3 West campaign with a hard-fought 22-21 victory away at Cardigan.

After a season marked by long journeys, disappointing defeats, cancellations and several late abandoned fixtures, the Reds finished on a positive note in Aberteifi.

It was United’s third match in a hectic six-day spell, all away from home. After valiant defeats against high-flying New Dock Stars and Tumble, Amman showed character to claim a narrow but deserved final-day win.

The late-season improvement has been helped by the introduction of several players from Amman’s victorious Youth side, who recently lifted the National Welsh Youth Cup at the Principality Stadium for the first time in the club’s history.

Ceian Lewis, Harvey Duncan, Tom James, Dyfan Llewelyn, Cole Lacey, Ioan Booth, Aled Davies and Hefin Davies all started at Cardigan, bringing fresh energy and renewed spirit to the side. The match also marked the end of the road for several long-serving stalwarts who have helped carry the team through some difficult recent seasons.

Cardigan made the stronger start, opening the scoring with an early converted try.

Amman responded well, drawing level before taking a 14-7 lead through tries from centre Dylan Lloyd and scrum-half Lee Evans, both converted by captain and outside-half Iestyn Griffiths.

The home side hit back with a second try, but Lloyd crossed again for his second of the afternoon. A Griffiths penalty then stretched Amman’s advantage to 22-12.

Cardigan rallied late on, but United held firm to secure a welcome win and bring their campaign to a close on a high.

Penybont secured a 2-0 win in Bridgend as the Bluebirds’ long season ended one game short of another European campaign

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY’S hopes of another European adventure were ended on Saturday (May 2) as Penybont claimed a 2-0 victory in the JD Cymru Premier European play-off final.

The Bluebirds travelled to the DragonBet Stadium in Bridgend looking to secure a place in next season’s UEFA Conference League qualifiers, but it was the home side who struck first.

Chris Venables put Penybont ahead inside the opening ten minutes, giving the hosts early control of the contest.

Haverfordwest, who had reached the final after beating Barry Town United on penalties, were unable to find a way back before the interval.

The decisive second goal arrived in the second half when Mael Davies made it 2-0 on 63 minutes.

That proved enough to settle the final, with Penybont seeing out the closing stages to secure European qualification for the third time in four seasons.

For Haverfordwest, the defeat brought an end to what the club described as a “long, rollercoaster ride of a season”.

After the final whistle, Haverfordwest County manager Tony Pennock admitted his side had not performed at the level required.

He said: “It’s probably our most poor performance since the start of the season, really.

“But we knew it was going to be tough. Penybont are a fairly good side. Congratulations to them — third European qualification in four years, so they’ve been consistent and they’re there or thereabouts all the time. You’ve got to give them credit first and foremost.”

Pennock also questioned the opening goal, suggesting Haverfordwest felt there had been an offside in the build-up.

He said: “We just didn’t get going today. I thought we started okay and then, I don’t want to go on about decisions, but the goal is offside.

“I can’t understand why the linesman can’t see it. But we didn’t really threaten.

“We huffed and puffed but just couldn’t get into the game.”

Despite the disappointment, Pennock praised his players for the way they recovered from a difficult start to the campaign.

He said: “I can’t fault them. I keep saying we were bottom of the league in October. Loads of people wrote us off this year.

“We lost players in the summer and all I heard was, ‘you didn’t replace him, you never replaced him’, but we’ve got to a play-off final — third final in four years.

“So we haven’t done too much wrong, really, to get where we are.”

Pennock said the players would learn from the defeat, adding that the club is already preparing for next season.

He said: “There’s always a winner and there’s always a loser. Unfortunately, we’ve come out on the other side today.

“We’ll have a break now in the summer. I’ve been busy recruiting for the last three months, really, with us going hybrid next season, which is exciting times for the club.

“It would have been nice to start the summer off with a European trip, but it’s not to be.

“There are a lot of boys in that room who will be with us next season, and as well as you learn from the experience of winning, you learn from losing as well.

“It’s not a taste that we want to repeat, and we want to give a better account of ourselves in the league next season.”

Pennock also welcomed changes to the Cymru Premier, with the league moving to a 16-team format.

He said: “I’m looking forward to some new clubs. It’s going to be a change and a refreshing change. I think it needed it.

“It will be nice just to play each other twice instead of probably four or five times.

“It has been a long season, and we just look forward to coming back and having another crack next year.”

Posting after the final whistle, Haverfordwest County AFC said: “It’s not to be for the Bluebirds in the play-off final.

“Thank you for your fantastic support today and throughout what has been another long, rollercoaster ride of a season, and we look forward to doing it all again in a few months time.”

The result means Penybont will take Wales’ final European place, while Haverfordwest must now regroup ahead of the new campaign.

Cover pic: Pic by Jamie Edwards/HCFC/FAW