Dolgellau  215 for 8 beat Brymbo 2nds  201 for 7 by 14 runs

North Wales Cricket League

OVER 400 runs were scored at the Marian on Saturday when Dolgellau entertained Brymbo 2nds, both sides reaching the two hundred mark.

Asked to bat first Dolgellau totalled 215 for 8 from their 45 overs, Brymbo responding with 201 for 7 to give the hosts a 14 run victory.

Brymbo opening bat Joss Roberts scored a superb 111 before he was run out in the penultimate over while earlier number 3 batter Lafras Van Vuuren made a classy 81 for Dolgellau.

The overcast conditions at the start of Dolgellau's innings assisted bowlers Sion Edwards and Jordan Williams for the first few overs, both getting the ball to swing.

As the sun gradually appeared, batting conditions improved and there was a second wicket stand of 67 between opener Sion Francis and Lafras Van Vuuren, after Jaco Oosthuizen was caught by Joss Roberts off Williams.

Francis scored 27 with 4 boundaries, dismissed caught Edwards bowled Gareth Pugh, from the last delivery before the drinks break, at 22 overs; 78 for 2.

Jack Williamson entered the fray and with Lafras moved it on to 162, their alliance of 84 coming in 14 overs.

Williamson struck a six and 3 fours in his 36, bowled, giving Williams a second wicket.

In the meantime Lafras reached his sixth half century of the season, the 50 coming from 65 deliveries.

With six overs remaining Lafras was the fourth wicket to fall, caught at deep square leg by Adam Smith, the bowler Joss Roberts

Lafras' 81 runs off 98 balls included 9 fours and 2 sixes and contained some exquisite shots along the ground.

Thereafter Morgan Yorke and Jonathan Lloyd put on 18 to take it to 192 in the 42nd over.

There was then a flurry of wickets falling to leave it at 197 for 8, as the batters hit out.

Yorke and Lloyd were both caught on the boundary off Pugh, Yorke by Edwards and Lloyd by Joss Roberts, Yorke for 14 and Lloyd for 11.

Stuart Evans was lbw to Pugh and skipper Jack Williams bowled by Joss Roberts. From the last 11 balls of the innings Rob Humphreys, not out 5, and Moc Llywelyn, not out 9, added 18 runs, an important 18 as it proved later, Dolgellau closing on 215 for 8, Joel Eynon not needed to bat.

For Brymbo, Gareth Pugh claimed 4 for 39, Jordan Williams 2 for 28 and Joss Roberts 2 for 37. Veteran Ross Roberts sent down nine impressive overs for 28 runs, Edwards had 9 overs for 34 and Jake Hughes, 5 overs for 42.

After the interval Brymbo advanced to 28 for 1 from the first 10 overs, Pugh caught by Francis off Jack Williams for 10.

Twenty runs later Adam Smith was well caught in the slips by Williamson in Lafras' first over.

Opener Joss Roberts added another 20 with Ollie Sheldrake who also edged to slip, Lafras this time the catcher and Williamson the bowler.

Skipper George Bourne arrived in the middle to partner Roberts in a 70 run stand for the 4th wicket.

Roberts was scoring freely all around the ground with some hard hitting shots, getting to his fifty from 80 balls.

Bourne contributed just 11 to the stand but played a good role for his side before he was run out by Rob Humphreys; 138 for 4.

Jordan Williams was run out without facing, the throw coming in from Jonathan Lloyd, Roberts on 84 at the time. 

Number 7, Chris McCartney supported Roberts putting on 55 to take it from 140 to 195, at which Roberts' excellent innings came to an end in the 44th over, Francis collecting a throw from Lafras to run out Roberts.

Joss  Roberts reached a century, his second of the season, from 105 balls, batting for 113 balls in all as he made 111, with 4 huge sixes and 8 fours.

However, Roberts was not on the winning side as just 5 runs came from the final over bowled by Yorke, who bowled McCartney for 30, a six and a four, with the 2nd ball of that over.

Brymbo needed 20 for victory from the last over but finished on 201 for 7, giving Dolgellau a 14 run victory, Ross Roberts and Sion Edwards the not out batters.

Four bowlers had a wicket each all sending down 9 overs, Lafras claimed 1 for 20, Jack Williams 1 for 30, Williamson 1 for 44 and Yorke 1 for 54, Francis having 9 overs for 49 runs. Dolgellau take 11 points and Brymbo 4 points. 

Dolgellau junior player Joel Eynon has been representing Cricket Wales North Under 14s recently.

The North team beat Wales South Under 14s by 57 runs at Clydach, Swansea, Joel taking 3 wickets for 18 runs from 5 overs.

Last Tuesday at Llandysul  Joel scored 33 not out with a six and 3 fours, but his team lost by 4 wickets to Wales West Under 14s.

At the other end of the age scale, Jonathan Lloyd travelled to Newport on Sunday to play for Wales Over 50s who were entertaining a Barbados over 50s team in a friendly.

The Welsh Over 50s scored 188 for 7 from 40 overs, only to see Barbados reaching a winning 189 for 6 in the 36th over. Jonathan scored 16 and had a stumping as wicketkeeper.