DAFEN CLOSE IN ON CROWN
LEADERS Dafen kept one hand on the division one title in the Peter Lynn & Partners Solicitors South Wales Cricket Association with a comfortable win at Baglan.
Skipper Jonathan Lewis (63) topscored for Baglan in their 187-9 as Jonathan Randell took 2-15, Matthew Donoghue 2-31 and Julian Griffiths 2-29.
Dafen skipper Matthew Evans (57) and fellow opener Griffiths (50), plus No. 3 Simon Jones (56no), then ensured straightforward progress to 188-1 in 37 overs.
Aberdare are 10 points behind Dafen after beating Gowerton in the Cynon Valley by 23 runs.
After winning the toss the hosts elected to bat first and captain Geoff Derrick (76), Asim Hameed (43no), Richard Warren (41) and Corrie Sewell 39 all made significant contributions as they compiled 291-7.
Adam Bond with 2-38 was the only bowler to restrict their progress.
In reply, Gowerton lost two early wickets, but captain Matthew Mason (60) and James Gardiner (86) advanced the score quickly, Mason’s dismissal brought Bevan Daniels (44) to the crease and he maintained the momentum so that 99 were required from the final 17 overs with seven wickets in hand.
However, wickets fell steadily after that and when Gardiner was last out in the final over the visitors were still 23 short.
Michael Weathersby (4-37), Chris Hughes (2-37) and Derrick (2-47) were the bowlers who turned the game.
Llangennech are fourth after being well beaten at Bronwydd.
Llan were shot out for 95 in 28.3 overs (James Cale 4-10, Tom Gleeson 3-19, Luke Swift 2-12), and then Gareth John (23no), Carwyn Jones (29) and Geraint Jones (19no) saw the home side to victory in the 18th over.
Bronwydd’s win puts them joint fifth with Tata Steel, who eased to a seven-wicket win at home to Llandysul.
The Ceredigion side had only skipper Rhidian Harries (48) and Llewelyn Hughes (31) in double figures as they were all out for 121 in 40 overs.
Michael Jones (3-23), David Jones (2-15), Matthew Jones (2-21) and Adam Jardine (3-15) took the wickets.
Tata were then in a spot of bother at 39-3, but Martin Lewis (39no) and skipper Daniel Melindo (33no) guided them to 122-3 in 28.4 overs.
Division two leaders Merthyr eased to a seven-wicket win at Drefach, bowling out the hosts for 62 in 29 overs (Amandeep Singh 3-18, Andrew Murphy 3-21) and then cruising to 66-3 in 13 overs for an early finish.
Swansea Civil Service are third after a home win against Pontyberem.
Dan Griffiths top-scored for the Gwendraeth Valley side with 31 as they were bowled out for 124, David Johnstone taking 3-34 and Saurabh Nagpal 3-11.
Service skipper Philip Owen (21), Dan Hardman (51) and Nagpal (40) then eased the Sketty Lane side to 127-4 in 30.1 overs despite Rhys Sewell’s 3-27.
Leaders Llanwrda reasserted their authority in the division three title race with victory in a low-scoring affair at Dyffryn.
The Bryncoch side were skittled out for 83 in 32.2 overs, skipper Lewis Day their top scorer with 22 as Sion Nicholas took 3-5 off 10 overs, James Morgan 3-20 and Josh Thomas 3-12.
The Towy Valley men didn’t have things all their own way chasing that modest total but eventually got over the winning line on 84-5 in the 24th over, thanks mainly to No. 5 batsman Osian Nicholas’s 34. Chris Davies took 3-15.
Dafen Seconds lead the chasing pack, 19 points behind Llanwrda, thanks to a comfortable home win against Tata Steel Seconds.
Dafen were all out for 198 in 48 overs, Andrew Herbert (43) and Andrew Randell (41) their top scorers. Felix Mason took 3-25.
But no Tata batsman made more than 16 as the visitors were shot out for 104 in 40.2 overs, Harry Randell (4-6), Cian Evans (2-9) and Cieran Latham (2-17) doing the damage.
Felinfoel are two points behind Dafen after seeing off Briton Ferry Steel Seconds by eight wickets.
Steel were skittled out for 72 in 32.3 overs, Tom Williams their top scorer with 22. The wickets were shared out between Anthony Mathias (3-32), Craig Richards (2-18), Isaac Thorne (2-1), Stuart Parmenter (2-8) and Fintan Soanes (1-4).
Felinfoel then eased to 73-2 in 11.3 overs thanks to Robert Bowen (24), Andrew Thomas (15) and skipper Richards (14no).
In the clash between the two bottom clubs, Gowerton Seconds lost at home to Bronwydd in a high-scoring game.
Skipper Rhodri Owens (33) gave Gowerton a good start, and No. 3 Marvel Biju (71), Rhys Williams (23), Ethan Harris (28) and Tom Parkin (30) all added runs to take the home side to 238 all out in 49 overs.
Owain Rees took 4-44 and Gethin Francis 4-40.
But the Carmarthenshire side had no problem with that target, openers Hadleigh Luff (88) and Trystan Tyler (81no) giving them the perfect start and No. 4 Francis (40no) seeing them home.
In division four, Aberdare Seconds notched up their 12th win of the season with a six-wicket success at Llangennech Seconds.
Llan slumped from 33-0 to 86 all out, opener Euros Jones top-scoring with 32.
Janaka Wickramasinghe took 3-7 and Giles Jones 3-11.
Aberdare did slump to 13-3 in reply, but an unbeaten 33 by Richard Dempsey took them safely home on 89-4. Berian Rees took 2-16.
Kidwelly are third after hitting 1965 (Leighton Walters 96) in reply to Skewen Seconds’ 192-9 (Matthew Thomas 42).
Kyle Britz of Neath Thirds took 6-7 off 5.4 overs as Llandeilo were tumbled
out for 84. Nathan Warlow then hit 48 as Neath got to 86-5 in the 27th over.
Division five leaders Dunvant made 325-4 in beating Drefach Seconds (114 all out) by 211 runs.
Openers Michael Arnold (140, 16 fours and three sixes), Owen Lewis (67) and Rob John (85no, six fours and seven sixes) were the men in form for Dunvant.
Ammanford Thirds went down by eight wickets to Llandarcy in division six.
Ammanford reached 150-9 in their 40 overs thanks to opener Steve Hagget (45) and skipper Neville Pritchard (35).
Llandarcy’s Jon Pryce took 4-18. Despite losing two early wickets, Llandarcy took just 22 overs to reach their target, with unbeaten half-centuries from David Noall and Gareth Richards.