SOUTH WALES

PORTHCAWL ............. 119 GREAT WESTERN .. 121-1

THE much-anticipated season’s opener turned out to be a damp squib for Porthcawl who crashed to a crushing nine-wicket defeat to the Railwaymen who were superior in all facets of a one-sided match.

Having narrowly missed out on promotion last year, the Seasiders were expected to continue their successful run against the visitors and made a promising start in cold, difficult conditions.

After losing opening partner Steve Richmond early on, the club’s junior coach Mark Dixon, in harness with Rob Jones, built a solid platform and advanced the score to 70 before Dixon was caught in the deep for 34 containing two sixes and a brace of fours. Dixon’s departure signalled a home collapse as Jones skied to long on for 28, including a trio of boundaries. From 70-1, the hosts crumbled to 805, then 96-6 as the visitors railroaded Porthcawl’s progress.

Mark Lewis batted with usual determination to register 15 and David Lewis looked comfortable before holing out at deep mid wicket for 14.

There lies the tale of this defeat as Great Western later demonstrated the art of not surrendering wickets. Porthcawl eventually declined to 119 all out.

For the visitors, left arm spinner Amish Trevidi was their most potent bowler taking 4-27 from 10 overs and Khalid Afzal took 2-11 from 6.3 overs. Seamer Ellis James also took two wickets for 32 in his 10-over allocation.

The Railwaymen were never in trouble as the home bowlers toiled. A 10-wicket victory looked on the cards before Steve Hughes fell for 40, with four fours, with the score on 91 but Gavin Vigus held firm and was unbeaten on 66 when victory was secured. His powerful innings contained two sixes and seven rope-finders. Callum Swinford was undefeated on 10 with Josh Aubrey, last season’s top wicket taker, capturing the only wicket to fall for 12 runs from his four overs of spin.

The second team game at Cowbridge fell victim to a waterlogged outfield.