Playing their first home match since 8 July Dolgellau defeated Connah’s Quay by 48 runs.

MARCHWIEL & WREXHAM 2nds 108 for 3 beat DOLGELLAU 2nds 103 by 7 wickets, North Wales League, Division One

Asked to bat first on a hot day Dolgellau totalled 187 for 8 from their 45 overs, Connah’s Quay replying with 139 all out in just 24 overs after being 100 for 1 in 10 overs. Sion Francis struck 60 and captain Jack Williams 42 not out for the hosts before Sam Williams claimed 5 for 46 and Jack Williamson 4 for 11 when the visitors batted.

Morgan Yorke was the first to be dismissed caught by the keeper Darren Jones off the bowling of Josh Clarke, after he and Jack Williamson reached 22 in 6 overs. Sam Williams was bowled by first change bowler Darren Leach’s first delivery, 38 for 2, and opener Williamson was back in the pavilion in the 17th over bowled by Lee Davies for 20 with 3 boundaries.

Number 4 batter Sion Francis and Williamson had added 37 in 9 overs the latter being dismissed to make it 75 for 3.

Davies took 2 more wickets to reduce the hosts to 86 for 5, Stuart Evans lbw and Jaco Oosthuizen bowled, while at the other end Francis had reached 31. Jonathan Lloyd shared 26 with Francis until the returning opening bowler Mali Auty, the captain, had Lloyd caught behind by Jones. Joe Williamson departed bowled by Clarke after he had watched Francis reaching a half-century from 67 deliveries.

There followed an alliance of 25 for the 8th wicket between Francis and Jack Williams at number nine. After top scoring with 60 from 85 balls, and holding the innings together, Francis was well caught by Clarke at midwicket, James Thomas the bowler. Francis hit 9 fours in his important knock of 60, 100 runs being scored while he was at the crease to make it 138 for 8 from 37 overs when he was dismissed.

The total was then boosted by an unbroken partnership of 49 from the last 8 overs between Jack Williams and Rob Humphreys. Williams hit 42 not out from 55 balls with 3 fours, Humphreys striking a four in his 12 not out as Dolgellau closed on 187 for 8, Joel Eynon not needed to bat on this occasion.

Lee Davies claimed 3 for 34 from his 9 overs and Josh Clarke 2 for 27 from 7 overs. There was a wicket each for Auty 1 for 28 from 9, Darren Leach also 1 for 28 from 9 and James Thomas 1 for 20.

After the break Connah’s Quay started at a whirlwind pace, overseas player James Du Toit and Darren Leach striking the ball to all corners of the ground. They had advanced the total to 89 in 8.4 overs using the 9 over fielding restrictions to plunder their runs.

At that juncture, Sam Williams achieved the breakthrough by dismissing Leach lbw as he swung the bat for another big hit. Leach struck a huge six to go with his 7 fours in his 40 runs from just 24 balls faced.

The total after 10 overs was 100 for 1, which became 105 for 2 when number 3 batter Clarke was bowled by Jack Williams. Darren Jones and Du Toit moved it on to 118 at which the former was well held at mid on by a tumbling Oosthuizen from Sam’s bowling.

It became 123 for 4 when Sam took the big wicket of Du Toit, adjudged lbw, having scored 60 from 51 balls with 2 sixes and 6 fours, his fifty coming from 45 deliveries.

The visitors then collapsed to 139 all out, losing 6 wickets for only 16 runs, batters 7 to 11 not troubling the scorers.

Davies after hitting a four went to an excellent running catch by Yorke on the boundary off Sam who struck again by bowling Callum Miller, to give him his 5th wicket. The last 4 wickets to fall were all taken by leg spinner Jack Williamson.

Liam Cappiello was bowled, Auty was caught by a diving Jonathan Lloyd at slip, Thomas was lbw and Matthew Dix gave Yorke a second catch, Rhys Jones the not out batter.

Jack Williamson finished with 4 for 11 from 5 overs and Sam Williams an excellent 5 for 46 from 9 overs. Skipper Jack Williams had 1 for 24 to go with his 42 not out as Dolgellau won by 48 runs, giving them 12 points.

MARCHWIEL & WREXHAM 2nds 108 for 3 beat DOLGELLAU 2nds 103 by 7 wickets, North Wales League, Division Four

After having six matches rained off Dolgellau 2nds finally saw some action when they travelled to play Marchwiel & Wrexham 2nds who won the game by 7 wickets. Put in to bat Dolgellau were all out for 103, the hosts responding with 108 for 3.

Dan Conde top scored for Dolgellau with a six and 4 fours in his 38. Opener Callum Taylor made 27 as Mike Lee took 4 for 19 for the home side. Other wicket takers were Zahid Sharif, 2 for 17, Jack Bettis 2 for 27 and Cheyenne Walker 1 for 11.

Marchwiel slumped to 9 for 3, but Mike Lee hit 68 not out with a six and 12 fours, and together with Sharif, 21 not out, took their team to 108 for 3 for a 7 wicket victory. Taylor claimed 2 for 10 and Dan Conde 1 for 10.

• Saturday’s league match for Dolgellau was the third match in 3 days for Jonathan Lloyd. On Thursday in Cardiff, Wales Over 50s 3rds entertained Middlesex Over 50s 3rds in a semi-final of the National Championship. Wales scored 187 for 8 from their 40 overs, Lloyd making 48 with 6 fours, adding 109 for the 3rd wicket with Abergavenny’s Steve Brown. However the total was not quite good enough, Middlesex reaching 187 for 7 to tie the match, the visitors winning the game by having lost less wickets and go through to the final to play Essex.

At Pontarddulais on Friday, Lloyd scored 30 from 48 balls with 3 fours as Wales Over 50s Firsts beat Canterbury (New Zealand) Veterans by 7 wickets.