12 PAGES OF LOCAL SPORT
PULLOUT – INSIDE
AMMANFORD lost their second game of the South Wales Premier League season by just four runs in a thrilling finish against St Fagans at the Park.
Daniel Roberts took an early wicket for Ammanford as St Fagans won the toss and elected to bat.
Things were looking good for the home side as the visitors wobbled on 46-3, but a middle-order partnership of 111 between Mitchell Edwards (82), who was dropped on 10, and Andrew Gorvin (56) brought the Cardiff side back on track.
Daniel Roberts eventually got rid of both in his return spell, but the damage had been done and St Fagans reached 223-7 in their 50 overs.
Ammanford began their reply confidently with an opening stand of 45 before Rhodri Davies (12) was caught and bowled.
His partner Elis Richards (36) continued his good early-season form with 36, and a welcome return for Glamorgan spinner Andrew Salter (38) took the total to 78-3 but Ammanford were struggling to keep up with the run rate thanks to some tight bowling.
With five overs to go Ammanford needed a daunting 52 runs, and only valiant efforts from Rhys Davies (46no), Matthew Roberts (17) and Craig Maloney (23) brought them to within striking distance.
Nevertheless, they still needed 20 runs from the final over, and Maloney started encouragingly with a four and a six from the first two deliveries.
But he was bowled next ball, and Ammanford fell short of their chase by four runs.
This Saturday Ammanford entertain Port Talbot at the Park.
A blistering career-best knock from opener Rhys Culley saw Ammanford 2nds to their first victory of the season as they beat Swansea by five wickets at St Helen’s in the Premier League West 2nd XI Championship.
Swansea reached a formidable 277-4, 105 not out from Samihan Ghanekar supported by good knocks from Rafique Swinscoe (60) and Thomas Haden (47).
For the visitors, Andrew Jeffries, Callum Croft, Matthew Warnes and Steffan Phillips took a wicket each.
But the reply from Ammanford was all about Culley. An imperious display saw him almost single-handedly beat Swansea as he scored an unbeaten 183 out of the victorious 279-5, a knock that featured 20 fours and three sixes.
To add salt to the wound, he did it with four overs to spare.
Meanwhile, an astonishing oneman show from Josh Davies saw Ammanford 3rds beat Bridgend GWR 2nds by four wickets at Southerndown in division six of the SWCA.
Chasing GWR’s 180, Davies scored an unbeaten 148 off 107 balls and blasted 16 fours and 10 sixes as he chased down the target with five overs to spare. The nearest batsman’s score to Davies was six, though extras helped him out with 22.