AMMANFORD IN DEEP TROUBLE
AMMANFORD slipped further behind the rest of the pack in South Wales Premier League 1 with a heavy 109-run defeat at leaders St Fagans.
Put in to bat, St Fagans got off to a good start on a tricky wicket as openers Thomas Bevan (42) and Callum Nicholls (71) put on 67 for the first wicket.
Ammanford’s bowlers did well to contain the St Fagans middle order, though former Glamorgan player Owen Morgan (55) upped the pace towards the end to take the home total to 229-7.
Ammanford spinners Mathew Fisher and Billy Root deserved their three wickets each.
Ammanford’s response got off to a disastrous start when skipper Alun Evans was given out lbw in the opening over with his front foot halfway down the track.
The remainder of Ammanford’s batsmen were less able to cope with the vagaries of the track than their St Fagans counterparts, none of them able to get in properly and build a telling innings.
Dan Roberts looked to be in silky form before he was caught for 18.
Not even Glamorgan’s Root, playing his first game for Ammanford, could make an impression as he was bowled by Morgan for 20.
A stubborn rearguard 13 from keeper Rhodri Davies was unable to save Ammanford from another humiliating defeat at a ground where they very rarely come away with a victory.
St Fagans opening bowler Andrew Gorvin took 4-13 and Owen Morgan capped a fine all-round performance with 3-11.
Ammanford are now languishing 20 points adrift at the foot of the table, and will be hoping to improve matters when they welcome thirdplaced Mumbles to the Park on Saturday.
Bridgend Town missed the chance to go second in the table when they went down by five wickets at Pontarddulais.
Samuel Pearce was the star of Bridgend’s innings of 199 all out. His 86 came off just 81 balls and included seven fours and four sixes. Opener Joe Cooke made 52.
Dafydd Davies and William Jones both took three wickets for Bont.
The home side were given the perfect platform in their run chase by opener Will Smale, who made a patient 73.
Richard Grant added 44 and skipper Cameron Herring steered them home with 11 balls to spare with an unbeaten 36.
Will Collard took 3-38 for Bridgend.
Both Ammanford and Pontarddulais suffered defeats in the T20 Knockout Cup on Sunday.
Ammanford were restricted to just 92-8 in their home match against Clydach.
And the visitors had few problems in reaching their target for the loss of three wickets with eight balls to spare.
Steff Davies top-scored for Clydach with an unbeaten 35.
Pontarddulais suffered an eightwicket drubbing at Neath. The visitors were all out for 59 – at one stage they were 9-4 – with Dafydd Davies top-scoring with 14.
Neath coasted home in 9.1 overs with Davies taking both wickets to fall.