Bangor on the brink of title after victory
BANGOR are on the brink of clinching the Premier Division title in the North Wales Cricket League after beating Pwllheli by five wickets at Tŷ Newydd.
After winning the toss and batting first, Pwllheli scored 197-9 thanks largely to an unbeaten 96 by captain and talisman Morgan Murray-Williams with opener Adam Williams scoring 42.
Franco Kasner, who took 4-39, and Michael Hughes with 2-38 both impressed with the ball for Bangor.
Chasing a revised target of 192, the league leaders looked in trouble when they were 111-4 and then 167-5 but an unbeaten 34 from stand-in captain Matthew Haswell helped steer Bangor home.
Nadeem Rehman (39) and David Winter (36) top scored for Bangor with Syed Kaleem Aslam (3-35) and Iwan Moore (2-39) being the pick of the Pwllheli bowlers.
Bangor can now clinch the title when they face struggling Pontbly- ddyn next Saturday.
Reigning champions Menai Bridge’s last chance of staying in contention has all but ended after a shock home defeat by Northop.
After being put in to bat by the visitors, Bridge could only score 148 all out in 42.2 overs with captain Dion Holden top scoring with 32.
Ammar Mahmood, Bart Beswick and Andy Poynton all took three wickets each for Northop.
An unbeaten 75 from captain Gareth Williams was the key innings for Northop as they reached their target with just over four overs to spare despite Liam Bibby taking 3-19 for Bridge.
In Division One, Bethesda were beaten by 135 runs by Gwersyllt Park in a match reduced to 40 overs a side.
Having being put in to bat, Park scored 239-4 with Jake James scoring 78 not out and opener Dominic Mitchell hitting 67 and there was also a half century from Scott Watkins.
Despite 62 from opener Carwyn L Williams, Bethesda went from 94-2 to 104 all out with Gwersyllt Park’s Michael Griffiths taking 5-24 and Neil Pearson chipping in with 3-18.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Mochdre took the bragging rights in the Conwy derby as they beat Llandudno by 96 runs.
Mochdre scored 254-7 in their 50 overs, with Sam Davies scoring 64 off 67 balls and Jack Rimmington taking 4-40 for Llandudno.
Llandudno were then set 202 off 36 overs but were bowled out for 158 despite a valiant 52 from Jack Rimmington.
Gareth Goodson took 3-31 for Mochdre and there were two wickets apiece for Kyle Brown and Stewart Williams.
The most eye-catching score of the day was at Elwy Grove Park where St Asaph thrashed bottom side Connah’s Quay by 252 runs.
The home side scored a remarkable 355-0 in their 50 overs as openers William Ryan (173) and Duncan Midgley (152) destroyed the Quay attack.
Quay captain Martin Burger returned figures of 0-84 off 11 overs with Rhys Stout (0-61) and Daniel Graham (0-48) off six overs also suffering.
In reply, Quay were bowled out for 103 in 25 overs despite being 66-1 at one point as Alex Baker (5-41) was the key bowler for St Asaph.