Ystradgynlais RFC News & Results

Ystrad cricket v Kidwelli

In a remarkable day of cricket, both sides continued their unbeaten starts to the season against Kidwelly.

In the first XI fixture at the Rec, the home side were made to work for their victory.

After losing the toss, the hosts were inserted onto a damp and drying wicket well suited to their star all-rounder Leighton Walters who charged in from the Gurnos End with both pace and hostility which made life for openers Eddie King and Daniel Holsgrove far from easy, with King taking facing the majority of deliveries and in turn taking a blow on the body. At the other end “Ratty” enjoyed the gentler pace of Gerard McCormack at the Bowling Green End taking full advantage having survived a very confident appeal for caught behind which was controversially turned down by umpire Lee “Bucknor” Morgan.

After this initial onslaught, both openers began to gain in confidence and Holsgrove was particularly severe on young Robin Davies when he entered the fray, in turn reaching his maiden 50 for the first XI.

The partnership had grown to 91 when in Walters’ 13th consective over he forced a false stroke from King and took a gentle return catch who was dismissed for 28.

Skipper Martin Griffiths entered the fray and a promising partnership between him and Holsgrove was cut short when Walters with his final delivery forced Holsgrove to edge a ball he could on reflection have left to the wicketkeeper and he was out for a well crafted 61 with the score on 100 in the 30th over.

Griffiths was joined at the other end by Matthew Phillips and the pair rattled up a partnership of 92 in only 14 overs with the pair running extremely well between the wickets and taking advantage of some gentle bowling, Griffiths reaching his 50 with a 6 over deep mid wicket. Phillips was eventually the 3rd man dismissed, run-out for 22, bringing Tom Jones to the wicket to accelerate the pace in the final 6 overs.

With wickets in hand and a free reign, lusty blows by Griffiths (80 not out) Jones (21) and Bradley Williams (11) helped propel the home side to a formidable score of 247-6 at the end of their 50 0vers.

In reply Kidwelly made an equally solid start with their opening partnership, helped by Ratty undoing his earlier good work by dropping opener Rob Jones, blunting the attack of Tom Jones and Luke Owen bringing up a 50 partnership in the 21st over, both bowlers, Jones more so guilty of not making the batsmen play at enough deliveries with the wicket still offering assistence. Owen had by this stage been joined in the attack by Bradley Williams.

Owen eventually made the breakthrough in the 22nd over bowling Dan Brown for 14 with the score on 54.

This brought to the wicket Leighton Walters who has been a scourge of many an Ystrad attack over the past few years, often to devastating effect. Today was not his day though as the first delivery he faced from Williams was of true Test match quality bowling a ball that pitched on leg stump and cut away to hit the top of off-stump, bowling him for a golden duck to the immense delight of the Ystrad fielders. With it brought renewed hope that a victory could now be obtained.

With this prize scalp under his belt, Williams then ripped through the Kidwelly middle order like the proverbial knife thorugh butter, taking excellent career best figures of 6-28 from his full quota of 15 overs, leaving the visitors reeling on 108-9 with 9 overs remaining. Only Rob Jones came to terms with the wicker scoring 61. After some late resistence, including a fumbled dolly by Luke Owen, Tom Jones returned to finish the job off by bowling L. Evans for 5 and the visitors all out for 110 leaving the hosts victorious by 137 runs. A performance all the more remarkable when for the first time in a number of years the bowling talent of Martin Donnelly was not utilised.

Match Details

Ystradgynlais        247-6 (50overs)        Martin Griffiths 80 not out, Daniel Holsgrove 61, Eddie King 28

Kidwelly               110 all out   (45.2 overs) Rob Jones 61. Bradley Williams 15-6-28-6.

Gold Award Winner – Bradley Williams

Ystrad Team:        Martin Griffiths (capt), Daniel Holsgrove (wkt), Tom Jones, Luke Owen, Bradley Williams, Matthew Phillips, Emyr Laurence, Lee Morgan, Liam Delaney, Eddie King, Martin Donnelly.

Ystradgynlais 26 pts Kidwelly 5 pts.

In a remarkable 2nd XI fixture, Kidwelly were bowled out for only 6, Owen Phillips chief destroyer taking 5 wickets. After the junior players had chased some of the runs down, the job was finished off leaving the 2nd XI 27 points clear at the top of the table.

Cheers

Pixie