JONES INJURY SUSPENDS PLAY
THERE was drama in the South Wales Cricket Association division two clash at Drefach when home wicketkeeper Eilian Jones had to be taken to hospital by ambulance after being concussed after colliding with his own bowler Ben Mitchell against Felinfoel.
The slightly-built Jones and the larger Mitchell both went for a catch after a Foel batsman top-edged the ball into the air between the two of them, and though Jones got to the ball first, with both fielders keeping their eyes on the ball there was a big collision and the unfortunate Jones came off the worse.
To add insult to injury, he also dropped the ball.
Play was suspended for about half an hour while the players waited for an ambulance and Drefach were set a revised victory target of 126 from 44 overs after having earlier bowled Foel out for 116.
Opener Craig Richards top-scored for Foel with 41 as bowlers Rob Seymour (4-29), Leigh Davies (3-21) and John Cartwright (3-18) had the upper hand.
Seymour then showed his skill with the bat as he blasted 74 off 39 balls with five fours and seven sixes to guide Drefach to 128-1 in 21.3 overs.
Harry McBryde and James Carter chipped in with 21 not out and 29 not out respectively.
Happily, Jones returned from hospital that evening, nursing a sore jaw and shoulder but otherwise okay.
In division one, Llangennech closed the gap between themselves and Llanelli with a four-wicket win at Stradey Park.
The result leaves Llanelli third on 85 points and Llangennech fifth on 70 points.
Llanelli were bowled out for 114 and the visitors then reached 115-6.
Dafen are bottom but one after losing at home by 18 runs to Maesteg Celtic in a low-scoring encounter.
Dafen skipper Matthew Evans won the toss and chose to field, a decision he must have been pleased with as Celtic lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out for 119 in 44 overs, a total that would have been much lower had it not been for 59 by Morgan Griffiths.
David Dunfee took 3-40, Jonathan Randell 2-22 and, late on, Chris Hudson 3-2 from three overs.
But Dafen’s batsmen also struggled and they too lost wickets regularly as Matthew Davies took 6-16.
They did recover from 33-5 to 97-5 thanks to Matthew Donoghue (24) and Simon Davies (38), but once Davies fell the tail failed to wag and Dafen were all out for 101 in 45.1 overs.
Cowbridge and Gowerton are at opposite ends of the table and it was no surprise that the North Gower side’s visit to the Vale of Glamorgan ended in defeat.
Gowerton did well to contain Cowbridge’s formidable batting line-up to 164-8, Chris Mason and Lee Nicholas both taking 2-19, but the visitors were in dreadful trouble at 14-5, and Felinfoel batsman Rhys Harries in action during his side’s visit to Drefach.
Picture: Phil Davies even 40 from Mason and 29 from Luke Main couldn’t prevent them from being skittled out for 104 in 42.1 overs.
In division three, Dafen Seconds enjoyed a better day than their first team, squeezing home by two wickets away to Tata Steel Seconds.
Tata chalked up a decent 194-9, Scott Jones top-scoring with 69, as Andrew Randell (3-33) and Jonathon Wastell (3-27) were in good form with the ball.
Then Oliver Evans (38), George Lavender (36), Randell (25), Wastell (23) and Andrew Herbert (26no), plus 26 extras, all contributed enough to see Dafen home on 195-8 in the 47th over.
Llanelli Seconds had no such joy on their travels, losing by 87 runs against Porthcawl.
Porthcawl made 179-8, young keeper Morgan Jones taking three dismissals, but in reply Llanelli slumped to 18-5. Skipper Rhys Westcott led the resistance with a spirited 32, but it wasn’t enough and the visitors were all out for 92 in 29.5 overs.
There was a similar batting failure in the same division at Pontyberem, where the home side slumped to 50 all out in 19.3 overs chasing visitors Briton Ferry Town’s 139 all out.
Daniel Griffiths took 4-25, but when Pontyberem came to bat opening bowlers Mumtaz Hussain (7-17) and Shakeel Amin (3-31) were in destructive form and only two home batsmen reached double figures.