Bronwydd suffer on return

NO league cricket in Bronwydd for almost 18 months meant that expectations and excitement levels were high for the visit of Skewen.

Bronwydd have lost the services of a couple of key men, but other experienced players have joined the ranks to give them a strong and varied group to hopefully challenge all the teams in the first division of the South Wales Cricket Association.

Bronwydd skipper Oli Furneaux won the toss and invited the visitors to bat.

The opening pair of David Jenkins and Dean Kriescher made a brisk start, aided by a couple of dropped catches, as they put on 48 for the first wicket in 12 overs.

Daniel Rees then joined Kriescher and more sloppy fielding helped push the score along.

Kriescher was eventually out to a spectacular catch by Furneaux, but Rees stood firm and was eventually out for 72.

The remainder of the batsmen could only muster 32 between them and the final total of 183 was a little less than Skewen had hoped for.

Josh Rencken with 3-21 was the pick of the home bowlers.

James Cale took 2-30, Mathew Bagshaw 2-24 and Tom Gleeson 2-30.

After the break the Bronwydd reply never got off the ground as wickets fell at regular intervals with James Dickson (17 not out) the only batsman to make double figures.

Luke Martin with 2-27 and Jordan Jones with 3-9 inflicted damage, but the standout performance was from Steve James who returned figures of 10-3-18-3 as Bronwydd were dismissed for 69.