THOMAS, CARROLL SOUTH WALES ASSOCIATION DIVISION THREE

IN ONE of the shocks of the season, Porthcawl lost their unbeaten tag to bottom side Skewen who secured only their second win of the season with a four-wicket success at Skewen Park.

It was a game the Seasiders should have coasted, to maintain second spot, but a disastrous sequence of seven dropped catches sealed the fate of the shell-shocked visitors, who have slipped to third spot.

Stand-in skipper, Steve Richmond, won the toss and opted to bat, but Porthcawl lost prolific run-getter Mark Dixon in the first over – his first failure of a lucrative campaign – and received a further set back when in-form Rob Jones was dismissed for 15 with the score on 40.

Nick Davies once again stood steadfast as the visitors were reduced to 954, William Frost hitting a useful 25, with five boundaries, before tamely holing out. Davies advanced past his sixth half century of his magnificent season and enjoyed good support from former skipper Mark Lewis for the fifth wicket.

With his score on 90, Davies succumbed in the deep, missing out on his first three figures of the season, but 13 fours helped take his superb tally to 424 for the campaign and an average of just over 70.

The score was 167-5 when Davies fell, having added 72 for the fifth wicket with Lewis, but the introduction of recently married David Lewis built on the solid base. The Lewis pairing added an unbeaten 52 run partnership for the sixth wicket, Mark undefeated on 48, with two fours, while David ended 20 not out, with a maximum and a four.

Young leg spinner Nathan Jones bowled an excellent 10-over spell of 3-39 from 10 overs and quickie Aled Hopkins took 2-30.

When Skewen slipped to 23-2, both falling to Rob Jones, the writing was on the wall for the hosts but they bounced back with a hard hitting third wicket partnership of 119, helped by a surge of spilled opportunities. Scott Dunnett lashed three sixes and eight fours in a whirlwind 64, while experienced captain Paul Williams was no less severe, his boundary count identical other than for two sixes. He made 60.

At 187-5, Porthcawl were still in the hunt but Harry Vance, aided by three dropped catches, took any chance of victory away with a swashbuckling innings of 46, which included two maximums and six rope-finders. The elated home side eventually eased home with nearly five overs to spare.

Jones finished with 2-26 from nine overs while off spinner Josh Aubrey also impressed with 2-38 from eight. Richmond ended with 1-32 and David Lewis 1-48.