Harrison Allen Bowl semi final:

Haverfordwest (207 all out) beat Whitland (130 all out) by 77 runs

HAVERFORDWEST will face Cresselly in this year’s Harrison Allen Bowl final after a dominant display against Whitland in Kilgetty.

Town skipper Danny Potter won the toss and elected to bat, and his side were always in control after being given a flying start from openers Adam James and Simon Holliday.

The pair took 14 of Dan James’ opening over, and then proceeded to smash 44 off five overs before James was caught behind by Owain Evans off Scott Newton for 23.

But No 3 Jonathan Strawbridge kept things ticking as he hit two fours and two sixes before being bowled by Mark Lee for 24, leaving The Town 107-2 after 10 overs.

And Holliday continued to attack, striking seven fours and three sixes before eventually being caught on the boundary by Iestyn Scourfield off James for 72.

After 17 overs Potter’s men seemed set for a monumental total as Dai Davies and Ben Field pushed the score to 163-3, but it was then that Whitland introduced slow bowler Jonathan Thomas into the attack.

After going for 14 in his first four deliveries, Thomas had Field stumped for 21, and then in the next over veteran Lee removed Potter himself for 2 as The Town pushed for late boundaries.

Thomas had Nigel Delaney (5) caught by Newton in the 20th over, and then returned to finish his spell in remarkable fashion with a final over that yielded four wickets.

He had Davies caught by Geraint Jones for 38, an innings that included two fours and a six, and then from the fourth and fifth balls of the over set up a hat trick chance by removing AJ Revu and Josh Wilment for ducks.

He didn’t get it, although No 11 Clive Tucker was run out as he returned for a second.

But despite The Town’s late collapse their final total of 207 all out was still an imposing one.

For Whitland, Thomas finished with 5-21, Newton 1-52, James 1-60, and Lee 2-40.

But their reply got off to a terrible start when in the first over Adam James trapped David Dunfee LBW for a duck, despite Dunfee appearing to have clearly edged the ball onto his pads.

Revu then ensured The Town kept a tight grip on things as he bowled Whitland skipper Ed John (6) and had Owain Evans (1) caught and bowled.

And when the same bowler bowled Paul Davies for 6, Whitland were 32-4 and in reality, the game was all but over.

No 3 Thomas did his best to repel the tide, but he was powerless at the other end as he watched Josh Wilment remove Iestyn Scourfield (5), James (2), and Kevin Pearce (2).

Thomas then fell himself for 46, after hitting four fours and two sixes, when he was well caught by Delaney of the bowling Tucker.

The spinner then had Geraint Jones (6) stumped to leave Whitland 97-9, but then final pair Newton and Lee at least brought some respectability to the scorecard with a stand of 33.

Lee finished 15 not out, and Newton hit two fours and a maximum in his knock of 27, before he was bowled by Holliday as The Town rounded off a comprehensive win.

Holliday finished with 1-3, Tucker 3-22, Wilment 3-38, Revu 3-33 and James 1-15.

The Town will now face hosts Cresselly on Bank Holiday Saturday, August 23rd.

Prior to the game, both sides observed a minute's silence following the death of the grandma of Haverfordwest player Nigel Delaney yesterday. Telegraph Sport sends condolences to Nigel and his family.