CRICKHOWELL entertained last year’s League Champions, Luctonians, at home on Saturday, still struggling to field 11 fit players.

At least skipper Nick Francis got back to winning ways with the toss, and reckoned that batting second would give the side more opportunity of earning bonus points.

But with the hottest afternoon of the year so far promised and Luctonians back to a full strength batting line up, it was an ‘X’ factor performance required from the bowlers and factor 30 sun cream for the fielders.

Crickhowell actually bowled and fielded quite well early on, with youngsters Callum Tew and Lloyd Francis doing particularly well in the field.

With the ball, Nick Francis (6-36) and Paul Cornock (1-42) made some early breakthroughs and Ben Bowker (0-69) was also bowling well, but had shout after shout turned down for lbw which was remarkable given that there were nine other lbw’s given in the match as a whole.

Luctonians though, do have strength in depth and Griffiths batting at number eight hit a quick fire 60 to hurt Crickhowell and see the visitors through to 259.

Opener Platford finished on an elegant 97 being bowled by Nick’s brother, Justin Francis (2-32) and keeping it in the family, Nick’s son Lloyd, also took 1-25.

It was a real captain’s performance with the ball though from Nick Francis, who bowled 12 overs in some discomfort with a side strain, and took six wickets for a paltry 36 runs.

He bowled an immaculate line and length and trapped three victims lbw, had two others bowled, and had the last caught behind by his uncle, Ryland Wallace, standing up to the wicket.

In reply, for Crickhowell, Watts and Wallace put on 30 for the first wicket and looked pretty secure, but both fell to further lbw decisions and both would have referred the decisions to the third umpire if the TV technology had been available to them.

The middle order could only muster a handful of runs before disaster struck with the score on 62 with the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th wicket all falling without a run being added. Crickhowell’s batting capitulated on 96 all out.

At least Crickhowell could be thankful for five bowling bonus points from the game and can also be thankful for all the other teams below them losing as well with even fewer points.