Cresselly retained the Graham Jewson Harrison Allen Bowl in emphatic fashion by inflicting a 100- run defeat on division one leaders Haverfordwest. It was Cresselly's 24th appearance in a Harrison-Allen Bowl final and the villagers have now won the final on 11 occasions.

For the second year in succession no play was possible on Saturday, so the final was played on the Sunday.

Cresselly skipper Lyn Richards won the toss and decided to bat.

At 24 for 3 he might have wondered if he had made the correct decision. Opener Julian Arthur fell to a brilliant leg-side catch by wicket-keeper Huw Scriven off the bowling of Simon Williams for nine and Phil Williams was caught at mid-off by Nick Dyer off the bowling of Adrian Griffiths with the total on 24 after he had also scored nine.

Cresselly suffered another setback when Adam Chandler fell to a catch by Huw Scriven off the bowling of Adrian Griffiths from the first ball that he had received.

Simon Cole had remained firm at one end and he was joined at the crease by Cresselly skipper Lyn Richards.

The pair started rebuilding the Cresselly innings. Richards played quietly and gave as much of the strike as possible to Cole who looked in good touch from the first ball he played.

Gradually the pair got on top of the Haverfordwest bowling and both batsmen had an interesting battle with Haverfordwest spinner Nick Dyer.

For a number of overs Dyer bowled over the wicket to Cole, pitched the ball on or outside the leg stump and made the ball fizz across the wicket.

However, anything off a good length or which failed to turn, was dispatched by Cole in no uncertain fashion over the mound and into the adjoining field for six.

The partnership was broken when Richards fell to a catch by David Davies at long-off from the bowling of Adrian Griffiths. Richards had scored 19, but had been the perfect foil for Cole in their match turning partnership.

Two balls earlier Cole had been dropped at long on by the same fielder off the bowling of Griffiths and the stylish left-hander made Haverfordwest pay for that error.

The dismissal of Richards opened the door for all- rounder Ryan Lewis to come to the party. Unlike the Glamorgan match, there was no fanfare of music to announce his arrival at the crease, but Lewis needs no bidding to come to the big stage. The first ball he received from Simon Williams was straight driven for four and the next two were dispatched over the clubhouse roof by the clean hitting Lewis.

His innings only lasted five balls, but he scored 17 and between them during that Williams over, the Cresselly pair scored 23 runs.

It acted as the catalyst and set the scene for an onslaught against the Haverfordwest bowling attack and, although wickets fell, Cole scored more or less at will with shots all around the wicket.

Wicket-keeper Neilson Cole provided valuable support in a seventh wicket partnership of 32, during which Neilson Cole scored 13 before being caught at mid-wicket by Dyer off the first ball bowled by Clive Tucker.

Cresselly plundered 85 runs in the last five overs to finish with a total of 184 for 8, with 23 of the runs coming in extras.

Simon Cole ended with 89 not out from just 45 deliveries and hit six 6s and six 4s during a quite breathtaking innings.

Each of the Haverfordwest bowlers had a bit of tap in turn. Adrian Griffiths was the leading wicket- taker with 3 for 55 from six overs, Simon Williams took 2 for 38 from his six and Clive Tucker, who started with a wicket, ended with 2 for 20 from his two overs.

If any team could top the Cresselly total it was Haverfordwest with such a strong batting team on paper.

However, cricket is not played on paper and is a mental game as well as a physical game. Excellent bowling and fielding by Cresselly kept the Haverfordwest runs in check.

Opener Phil Kirkby scored 66 from 60 deliveries before being the fifth batsman out with the total on 126. He fell to a two-handed catch by Ryan Lewis above his head in front of the clubhouse balcony off the bowling of Stefan Jenkins.

Kirkby scored three 6s and four 4s during his innings, but excellent field placing by Lyn Richards cut off a number of Kirkby's attacking shots.

Whereas the Cresselly batsmen ran well between the wickets, the Haverfordwest batsmen were more ponderous.

David Davies helped Kirkby to add 48 for the second wicket before being bowled by Huw Neale for 13. Town vice-captain Karl Rhead looked the pick of the Haverfordwest batsmen and scored 32 from 29 balls before being caught at backward point by Stefan Jenkins off the bowling of spinner Ryan Lewis.

Haverfordwest were unable to step on the accelerator in the closing stages of the innings as Stefan Jenkins and Ryan Lewis applied the brakes. Ryan Lewis, bowling his off-spin from the school end, took 4 for 25 and added the dangerous pair of free-scoring batsmen Nick Dyer and Stephen Phillips to his list of scalps, plus pinch-hitter Huw Scriven.

Richard Harris gave little away and only conceded 28 runs in his six overs.

Huw Neale bowled briskly and finished with 2 for 32 and Stefan Jenkins picked up the other wicket to fall.

The players took tea with Haverfordwest trailing Cresselly by 48 runs.

Cresselly openers Julian Arthur and Phil Williams made the most of the lead and extended it during their first wicket partnership of 44 which ended when Arthur was bowled by Stephen Phillips after scoring 28 from 20 deliveries.

His opening partner, Phil Williams, was also bowled by Stephen Phillips after scoring 23 with the total on 79.

The fall of the first wicket brought Simon Cole to the crease and once again he batted superbly, with the ball finding the middle of the bat with what must have been monotonous regularity for the Haverfordwest bowlers.

Stroke player Adam Chandler bounced back from his first ball duck in the first innings, to help Simon Cole add 91 for the third wicket, before Chandler was caught by Phil Kirkby from a skyer at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Nick Dyer. His innings had only lasted 17 balls during which he hit a six and four 4s.

During their partnership, Simon Cole had been dropped again by David Davies with the team total on 131 and Cole's personal tally 51. Once again it was at long on. In the first innings it was in the 16th over and in this innings it was in the 17th over.

Harfat paid dearly once again for the mistake and Cole continued to score runs stylishly and quickly. An excellent judge of length Cole has the ability to push the ball into the gaps, bisect the fields with shots to the boundary all along the ground and has the power to clear the boundary when the right ball comes along.

He needed 11 runs for his century off the last over bowled by Nick Dyer from the school end.

Much to the delight of his team-mates and the Cresselly supporters, Cole hit the penultimate ball of the over, over the mound into the field to take his score to 103 with seven 6s and nine 4s.

Although he was caught by Huw Scriven off the bowling of Dyer from the last ball, Cole had put Cresselly in an impregnable position. The team total was 201 for 5 and his record-breaking innings of 103 had been scored off just 51 deliveries.

For Haverfordwest, Nick Dyer took 2 for 47, Stephen Phillips 2 for 43 and Simon Williams 1 for 28.

If Haverfordwest were to have any chance of scoring 250 to win they needed to make a good start.

It was not to be. Phil Kirkby was bowled by Lyn Richards for 15 with the total on 27 and fellow opener Danny Potter fell on the same total when he was trapped leg before wicket by Richard Harris. David Davies was bowled by Lyn Richards for two and the town with 31 for 3.

Once again Karl Rhead showed his class and commitment with a fighting innings of 51 from 48 balls and Stephen Phillips helped him add 59 for the fifth wicket before Phillips was caught by Ryan Lewis at long-on off the bowling of Huw Neale for 29.

Play was interrupted four times by rain, but the Cresselly ground staff covered the wicket quickly on three occasions and on the first occasion the players went off the field, the rain had stopped by the time they had reached the pavilion.

In between the showers, wickets fell and, although Rhead's brave innings ended on a total of 127 when he was the ninth batsman out, caught at deep cover by Phil Williams off the bowling of Stefan Jenkins, the writing was already on the wall.

The innings closed on 149 for 9 to give Cresselly a victory by exactly 100 runs.

Skipper Lyn Richards took 3 for 49, Ryan Lewis 2 for 29 and Stefan Jenkins 2 for 14 in his two overs.

A high scoring game was expected on a good batting wicket with 22 of the best players in Pembrokeshire in action.

What was not expected was the margin of defeat, but in this final Cresselly bowled better, fielded better, batted better and most certainly ran between the wickets better than their opponents.

'OUT OF THIS WORLD'

During the presentation ceremonies, Mr. Hugh Harrison-Allen presented the magnificent Bowl trophy to Cresselly skipper Lyn Richards. Speaking after receiving the Bowl, Lyn Richards said: "To win this great trophy once was special. To win it twice is absolutely fabulous and out of this world. At 24 for 3 in the first innings I thought cor blimey what a toss to win!

"However, it just sums up our season this year in that we knuckled down and played as a team. I said last year that we had been waiting 21 years to win the Bowl. It is just like buses. You wait 21 years and suddenly two come at once.

"I would like to thank the team, the scorers, the umpires, the ladies for doing the teas and the ground staff for preparing such a good wicket and who got wet a lot today in making sure that the final could be completed.

"I would also like to give a big thank you to our supporters who have been fantastic. Finally, I would like to thank Haverfordwest for playing the game in such good spirit."

Speaking to Observer Sport after the match, Lyn Richards said: "The will to win is very important and it was clear that we wanted the trophy more today. The boys are playing confidently and in the pre- match talk in the changing rooms I used the quote 'If you think you can't you won't'.

"The boys agreed. We batted well, bowled well and fielded well.

"We got rid of the albatross last year as in previous finals mentally it had got to the players' heads and affected our ability to win.

"Now the players know they can do it and have the confidence to win."

Continuing, he said: "As you know it was one of my ambitions to be the Cresselly captain to win the Bowl. To lead the team to three consecutive finals and to win two of them is something very special. "We had a lead of 48 after the first innings, but then scored 201 in the second innings. Scoring at that rate takes some doing and during the day we scored nearly 400 runs in 44 overs.

'I'm really pleased for the club, the team and the supporters. It has been a fantastic day for Cresselly Cricket Club."

Simon Cole was nominated man of the match by the adjudicators, Brian E. Griffiths, of Burton, and Chris Richards, of Narberth. In announcing the decision, Chris Richards said that on this occasion it was a straightforward decision in view of the magnificent batting by Simon Cole in both innings of the match. Speaking to Observer Sport after receiving the trophy, an emotional Simon Cole said: "Although I have been man of the match in a previous final, unfortunately on that occasion it was on the losing team when Haverfordwest won.

"It is a terrific feeling and a magic thing for our club to win the Bowl. As you know, the man of the match trophy has been presented each year in memory of my grandfather, John Cole, who died when I was very young, therefore to receive this trophy today is something very special."

Simon's father Glyn has also won the man of the match trophy when Cresselly defeated Burton in the final in 1984.

Simon Cole had an unexpected surprise when the Cresselly team had their traditional pre-match breakfast at the Cresselly Arms in Cresswell Quay.

His sister Louisa had been travelling the world for six months and intended flying home on the Sunday. When she heard that Cresselly were in the final she arranged to travel back from New York on the Friday and had been hiding from Simon for two days before she came out of a car boot, much to the surprise and delight of Simon at the breakfast.

Only two other batsmen have scored centuries in the Bowl final. One of them was on the field on Sunday, namely Stephen Phillips, of Haverfordwest, who scored 102 against Burton when Haverfordwest won the Bowl in 1990.

The other centurion was Australian Geoff Cullen who scored a century for Lamphey against Hook when Lamphey won the Bowl in 2000.

Cullen also scored 102, so that the 103 by Simon Cole is a Bowl record, as is Cole's match aggregate of 192 runs.