O’CONNOR DAZZLES FOR DYNAMIC DAFEN
DIVISION one leaders Dafen Welfare proved far too strong for bottom-butone Baglan in the Peter Lynn & Partners Solicitors South Wales Cricket Association.
Dafen chose to bat and then proceeded to rattle up 244-5 in their 50 overs, opener Luke O’Connor hitting 13 fours and a six in his 141-ball 111.
Simon Jones kept the run rate going with a 43-ball 46 as Rhys GaskinsDavies (2-43) was the best of the bowlers.
Baglan skipper Jonathan Lewis (30), Taylor Rees (29) and Martin Rees (26) did their best but it was nowhere near enough to threaten Dafen and they subsided to 151 all out in 45.5 overs. O’Connor rounded off an excellent day’s work with 3-13, and Matthew Donoghue took 3-49.
Llangennech are second after seeing off Bronwydd in a high-scoring encounter.
Nathan Richards (49), skipper James Taube (71) and Wakeel Shah (37no) helped Llan to 256-7, Tom Gleeson, James Cale and Geraint Jones each taking two wickets.
Bronwydd then made a fair stab at overhauling that total, opener Cale leading the way with 69. Philip Howell (27) and Meirion Davies (49) chipped in but in the end the visitors fell short on 226-9. Matthew Jones took 4-31.
Gowerton entertained Aberdare and a low-scoring game produced a nail-biting finish that the visitors edged by one wicket.
Aberdare put Gowerton in to bat and they could only score 131. Bevan Daniels (26), Jack Hobbs (25) and Luke Evans (22) all got good starts but none of them were able to go on to make a substantial score. Michael Weathersby (4-31), Chris Hughes (218) and Matthew Griffiths (2-23) provided the batsmen with most problems.
In reply, the visitors lost wickets regularly and only Weathersby (23) and Liam Hughes (20) were able to get beyond the teens, with Will Collinson (4-14), Matthew Mason (3-31) and Callum Eakins (2-41) maintaining the pressure.
Eight runs were still required when last man Nathan Spain joined captain Geoff Derrick, but they calmly got the visitors over the line for a win that leaves Aberdare third.
Tata Steel were the highest scorers in division one, making 284-5 and then bowling home side Llandysul out for 191.
Jack Donovan (65), Martin Lewis (46), Matthew Jones (76) and Kelvin Bartle (46) helped the Steelmen to their big total before they bowled the Ceredigion side out for 191 in 43.5 overs despite skipper Ben Edkins’s unbeaten 77. Matthew Saker took 4-17.
In division two, Merthyr Tydfil lost a thriller at home to Drefach.
Rob Seymour (57 off 45 balls) helped Drefach to 165-7, aided by 40 extras, 31 of which were wides.
And those extra runs proved decisive as Merthyr were bowled out four runs short on 161 in 32.3 overs despite Andrew Murphy’s 69. Harry McBryde took 4-25, Leigh Davies 2-36 and Seymour 2-11.
The result leaves Merthyr second and Drefach third.
Pontyberem enjoyed a straightforward win at home to Swansea Civil Service.
The Gwendraeth Valley side were all out for 187, openers Rhodri Evans (36) and Iestyn Davies (49) leading the way. There were also 37 extras, 34 of them wides.
Civil Service then had only one man in double figures, Daniel Hardman
(21) – plus 26 extras – as they were all out for 78. Rhys Sewell took 4-17, Daniel Griffiths 3-21 and Rhodri Evans 2-18.
There’s no stopping Llanwrda in division three as they made it seven wins out of seven with a four-wicket success at home to Dyffryn.
Owen Thomas’s 61 and 33 from Ieuan Jones helped Dyffryn post a competitive 180-6, Josh Thomas the most successful of the bowlers with 4-40. Garan Williams’s 10 overs cost just 14 runs.
Llanwrda skipper Adrian Davies’s unbeaten 68 then set up the Llandovery-based side’s reply nicely and, helped by 30 from Owen Davies, they reached 181-6 in 46.4 overs. Lewis Day took 3-50.
Felinfoel dropped to third after losing by 46 runs at Briton Ferry Steel Seconds. After early wickets fell cheaply an unbeaten 78 by Kris Pemberton steered Steel to 180-9. Craig Richards took 4-15.
Skipper Richards kept Felinfoel in the game with an undefeated 51, but with little support the Llanelli side subsided to 134 all out. Daryl Phillips took 3-1, Thomas Williams 2-52 and Rhys Phillips 2-31.
Dafen Seconds are hot on Felinfoel’s tails after an eight-wicket win away to Tata Steel Seconds.
Opener Adam Jardine (51) helped Steel to 157 all out as Cieran Latham took 3-28, Ioan Roberts 3-38 and Harry Randell 2-7. Roberts then hit 16 fours in his unbeaten 93 off just 81 balls as Dafen raced to 159-2. Jardine (2-30) took the only wickets to fall.
Gowerton Seconds travelled to Bronwydd Seconds and were restricted to 131 all out, with only Rhys Williams (38), David Roberts (21) and 16-year-old Ben Croydon (12) reaching double figures. Freddie Ward (3-26), Owain Phillips (3-29) and Tomos Ward (2-16) all bowled well.
The hosts then slipped to 15-3 against 14-year-old Trystan Ovens (3-22) and Tom Sanu (1-15). Williams (4-15) maintained the pressure and second-from-last Bronwydd were tumbled out for 100, leaving Gowerton victors by 31 runs.
In division four, Aberdare maintained the only 100 per cent win record in the division after making 1726 and then bowling Llangennech Seconds out for just 102. Mike Roberts took 4-5 and Tim Godsall 4-19.
Llandeilo made it two wins in a row after beating Neath Thirds by 115 runs at Cefn Saeson.
Neath won the toss and put Llandeilo into bat on a tricky wicket but the Llandeilo openers were patient in windy conditions.
Hugh Towns fell for 10 after an opening partnership of 49 and Haydn Hatfield joined Neil Harris in the middle. They put on 79 for the third wicket before Harris fell for an excellent 75, his third half-century in three weeks.
Hatfield batted through to the end and finished on 34 not out with Llandeilo posting a solid total of 155-4.
In response, Llandeilo’s opening bowlers bowled tightly with Chris Jenkins conceding just eight runs from his eight overs and Anthony James taking 1-16.
With the pressure on to up the run rate, wickets started to fall with Towns claiming 4-7 and Phil Harries finishing with 2-6.
Neath were eventually all out for 40.
Pontarddulais Thirds possess the only perfect record in division six after they amassed 272-6 (Cai Gealy 97, Paul Evans 51no) at home to Great Western Seconds and then dismissed the visitors for 119 (Thomas Edwards 4-39).
Dafen Thirds still lead the way in division seven after a 115-run victory against Gowerton Thirds.
Dafen’s Chris Curtis amassed 129, with only 15-year-old Will Portway (3-18) able to halt his progress as they were dismissed for 238. Tomas Janas (3-3) and Curtis (1-2) then restricted Gowerton to 122-9 despite Adam Williams’s 40.
There was better news for Gowerton Fourths in division eight as they won at Kidwelly Seconds. Biju Vithayathil (4-5) limited Kidwelly to 125 all out.
The visitors slipped to 103-8, but Rob Jenkins (31no) and Ed Mort (17no) saw Gowerton home.