Titus ton powers Talybont to crushing win against Tywyn

THE curtain came down on the ‘Fine and Country’ Conference with some fine individual performances and a couple of rare statistical quirks, writes Huw Chambers.

Home captain Vinod Mathew elected to bat, and openers Blenesh Jose and Milton John played cautiously against Callum Taylor and Joe Williamson, the latter working up some good pace.

In the 5th over, John attempted to drive Taylor straight, but a terrific skier ensued which Taylor pocketed nonchalantly.

Joseph Thomas looked in good form, striking three boundaries as the score rose to 25, but he was deceived by an excellent slower ball by Taylor and trapped in front for 12.

Jose was joined by his skipper Vinod and started to find his touch. He had struck four boundaries and was looking good, but first change Ahmed produced an inducker to bowl him for 19.

Titus Mathew strode in to join his father with the score at 56 in the 13th over and instantly showed why he has been in such sparkling form of late.

He started despatching the bowlers to all directions, with his father also playing the cut shot to great effect.

However, a score of 92 at the halfway mark did not suggest great landmarks, with Ahmed and Ed Hughes bowling tightly.

The game swung as Titus accelerated from 26 to 50 in just 9 deliveries, taking great delight in both lofting the spinners over their heads and pouncing viciously on anything remotely short.

The Mathew family combination had put on 116 runs when Dave Jenkins sent back Vinod for 51 with a flatter delivery.

Huw Chambers scored a bright and breezy 15, being caught behind by Liam Thomas off Dave Jenkins. With the score having reached 200, Sreeraj saw fit to put his own stamp on the bowling.

His immense power and carefree batting saw him hit 25 runs in one over, including three consecutive sixes.

Titus was also now clearing the boundary at will as he cruised past three figures, and the return of the opening bowlers could do nothing to stem the flow of runs.

Sreeraj reached a remarkable 50 in the penultimate over, and Titus reached 150 in the last over.

The innings closed at 358 – 5, Sreeraj unbeaten on 50 and Titus unbeaten on 166. Taylor took 2-73 and Dave Jenkins 2-75.

Milton John had instant revenge at the start of the Tywyn innings, bowling Callum Taylor with the very first ball.

Joseph Thomas has been a mainstay of the 2nd team bowling this year, and he induced a leading edge from Liam Thomas to take a return catch, then persuaded Lloyd Wrobel to push a drive to the gleeful Sreeraj at extra cover.

Jaco Oosthuizen looked solid though and drove several deliveries through the off-side in classic manner.

He lost Nicky Williams and Ed Hughes to Robin off-cutters that demolished the stumps, and Jonathan Tolhurst was dismissed by Thomas in a similar manner.

Oosthuizen had held the batting together in a calm manner, but on 40, he tried to clip Robin past square leg, but he got a top edge and Vinod made good ground from slip to make the catch. Joe Williamson managed to stabilise the innings somewhat, but his own stumps were disturbed by Elbin to leave the innings in ruin at 89-8 at 25 overs.

Remarkably, there then followed the second inter-generational batting exhibition of the day.

Dave and Simon Jenkins firstly defended stoutly and then started to put bat to ball as the descending September gloom made the ball difficult to see for the fielders.

Dave’s speciality, the slog-sweep, was employed to great effect, and Simon’s astute pushes between the fielders rotated the strike well.

The pair saw out the overs, taking their side to 207 – 8 as the innings closed. Simon was unbeaten on 24, likewise Dave on 77. Their stand of 118 might well be the highest 9th wicket partnership ever in the league.

Thomas ended with 3-28, and Robin took 3-17.

The ‘Homely Baskets’ man of the match was Titus Mathew