DIVISION 1
YNYSYGERWN .......... 147 BRIDGEND TOWN .206-7
THIS was more like it from former league champions Bridgend Town, who exorcised the ghost of the Port Talbot Town defeat in a comfortable 59-run victory at Ynysygerwn, writes Tony Poole.
Though the previous week Town had been shot down by the Pirates, losing by 10 wickets, the scars soon healed and the Neath village side paid the price.
And a decision by Ynys captain Alex McCormack to give Bridgend first use of the track ultimately blew up in his face.
For once the opening partnership of Sam Wood and Cardiff student James Kinder, who was with Kidderminster last summer, yielded some runs.
Wood (27) went with the score on 52, but Kinder hung around to post 47 for the second wicket with captain and wicket-keeper Tom Baker.
Kinder went for 28, making it 99-2, with Baker and Porthcawl Town footballer Thomas Cogbill kicking the score along nicely.
However, Baker was eventually run out for 33 and from 123-2 Town sank faster than the speed of light on to 154-7.
With mayhem unfolding all around him, men were coming and going with regular monotony, Cogbill managed to hang on in there.
Eventually he found someone else capable of planting runs on the scoreboard in number nine batsman Thomas Pearce.
They added 47 priceless runs during the closing overs, and were still there when the innings closed on 206-7.
Cogbill was the star of the show with his 56 containing a six and four boundaries, and it came off 56 deliveries.
Thomas Pearce displayed batting skills reminiscent of his father Bobby during his pomp at Coychurch in contributing 23 (one six, one boundary) off 27 balls.
Though the stand might not have been too significant at the time – some felt Bridgend could and should have got 250 – it turned out to be worth its weight in gold.
That soon became obvious when Ynys made a disastrous start against the Town pace attack of Tomos Jones and Alex Jones.
Young Bronwydd pace man Jones got rid of his mentor Darren Thomas for nine while Gareth Davies and Aaron Ace were also in the hutch.
The new ball men ripped through the early order and at 45-4, 54-6 and 64-7, distress flares were spotted over Aberdulais.
Pearce with 7-1-24-1 and Thomas Dalton (6-023-1) added to their woe until some wag appeared in the tail.
The return of Tomos Jones, who delivered 102-38-4, took out both Alex Powell (27) and Nathan Davies (11), to leave it 959.
But some remarkable hitting from last man Gavin John led to Ynys going down with all guns blazing.
John smashed two sixes and six fours in a lightening 42, and a last-wicket stand with Craig Evans (15no) yielded an astonishing 52 runs.
Alex Jones eventually got the wicket of Gavin John, ending up with figures of 8.3-1-34-3, as Ynys were dismissed in the 39th over for 147.
A fourth league win of the season resulted in Bridgend consolidating fourth spot but with St Fagans and Neath both losing, they closed in on the teams immediately above them.
Next up for Bridgend Town is a home league fixture on Saturday with Ammanford – the hope on this occasion is that captain Baker will be lucky with the toss.
After six rounds of fixtures, league placings read: Newport 88, St Fagans 85, Neath 80, Bridgend Town 76, Cardiff 69, Ammanford 56, Pontarddulais 53, Ynysygerwn 48, Port Talbot Town 45, Mumbles 37.
BRIDGEND TOWN SECONDS ................ 166-2 NEWPORT FUGITIVES SECONDS ................ 162-7
IWAN Bunston hit an unbeaten 57 to steer Bridgend Town Seconds to a first win of the season in Second XI (East), writes Tony Poole.
A stronger side faced former Day’s Alliance pals Newport Fugitives, and Town captain Richard Cogbill won the toss.
He went for the obvious in requesting Fugies to bat, and basically they could never shake off the shackles that were applied by an accurate Town attack.
Evergreen performer Dave Adams hit 17 on a return to Newbridge Fields while captain and wicket-keeper Russ Thomas made 31.
James Vaughan then top scored with 48 (two sixes, three fours), as the High Cross side were pegged to 162-7 off their 50 overs.
Alex Dalton, son of Alistair, led the way with 10-4-24-3 while on the spot bowling also came from Varun Sharma 10-223-1, Lewis Cogbill 10-131-1, A J Dalton 10-2-30-1 and paceman Grant Humphries 6-1-24-1.
That left Town with an asking-rate of around three runs per over – and for once it proved food and drink for the batters.
Promising youngsters of the calibre of Grant Humphries (20) and Peter Stanton (40) launched the innings in fine style.
But at 95-2 there was still work to be done - and up to the task on the day were the sons of two former Town stars.
Iwan Bunston, son of club professional A T Bunston, cracked 57 and he got something his father never achieved in hitting a six.
The innings was also garnished with seven fours, and he received admirable support from Gwilym Davies, who is the son of fiery ex-Town paceman Meurig.
He contributed an undefeated 36 (seven fours) with the pair taking Town through to victory on 166-2 in the 40th over - ex-Rogerstone paceman Jonny Berry 10-1-38-1 and Adams 5-0-20-1 were the wicket-takers for outgunned Fugies.
This Saturday Bridgend Town Seconds return to ground that many moons ago in the old Club Conference was a regular occurrence – Malpas.
Second XI (East) positions after six rounds of matches read: Penarth 110, Newport 100, St Fagans 93, Port Talbot Town 70, Malpas 68, Cardiff 60, Tata Steel 59, Panteg 50, Newport Fugitives 43, Bridgend Town 34.