Aberystwyth (122-9) beat Talybont Rachels (121) by 1 wkt
Fine & Country West Wales Cricket Club Conference
ON a bright Aberystwyth day the two teams were on differing paths with hosts Aberystwyth recovering from a disappointing defeat the week before versus Tywyn.
Captain Loxdale won the toss and elected to bat and the opening bowlers Knights (3-11) and Krishna (2-19) put together a hostile and accurate opening salvo tying down Anthony (10) and Graison (6) to a trickle of runs over the first few overs and the squeeze returned success with wickets falling steadily with only Dave Barrow (23) and Phil Abraham (27) with steady resistance keeping Rachels in the game.
Aberystwyth’s bowling and fielding was the best of the season with Salmon (2-21) and Saunders (1-25) particularly miserly and accurate.
Other huge highlights were run outs from man of the match Steff Davies (and an amazing worldly catch at Gully) and Nigel Salmon to leave Rachels all out on 121.
Aberystwyth started brightly and confident with Steff Davies and Alex Bellenie scoring positively until Bellenie (16) picked out Barrow with an expansive shot to cow corner and then the collapse began with Ioan Morris (6) Matt Salter (6) harvey knights (0) and then Steff Davies (45) Nigel Salmon (12) all falling to the excellent bowling of Babar (3-25) and Phil Abraham (3-20).
When Davies had perished Loxdale and Saunders with two ducks it left Aberystwyth staring down the barrel to an unlikely defeat after the heroics in the field.
Enter Anirudh Krishna (not out 13) and Ben Willis to steady the ship with some dogged batting against a revitalised Rachels
With only a few runs needed Willis played on to Milton and the club president Anthony Evans was called upon to stand up for the club against all the odds.
Battling for the win in the tightest of circumstances Krishna kept his cool and Evans with all his experience managed to keep the bowlers at bay until Krishna hit a sumptuous extra cover four to seal a great victory for the hosts in a thrilling and sporting contest.