Crickhowell 320-6 Glangrwyney CC 164-8 .

AFTER a miserable month, losing to table toppers Luctonians and Garnons and losing two other fixtures to the weather, Crickhowell managed to get their season back on track with a very good win in the local derby against Glangrwyney.

Both teams were depleted through injuries and illness and Glangrwyney won the toss and invited Crickhowell to bat first. The umpires and captains, aware of a poor weather forecast with some light rain already falling, and more persistent rain promised for later on, agreed to play a 40 overs a side game.

Glangrwyney’s decision to field first seemed a good one, with Crickhowell’s star batsman Lilley going cheaply in the third over. However, Greg Tew [65], came in to join Cornock [60] and they constructed a very useful stand of over 100.

In amongst some exciting stroke play they both had some good fortune, with a number of difficult catches being put down, mostly on the boundary. With some light rain around the ball was slippery, but catches were not only put down but remarkably they were palmed over the boundary for six on four separate occasions.

Crickhowell skipper Francis, experiencing an unusually lean time with the bat, promoted himself in the order and showed that form is only temporary and class is permanent, by smashing 138 not out.

This included 14 fours and nine sixes, some of the biggest seen on the ground for many a season. With the middle order all supporting Francis admirably, to push the scoring along, Crickhowell finished on 320 for six in their 40 overs, with Wallace, Watts and Ben Bowker all chipping in.

Devoy picked up two wickets [2-71] and Eryl Cook [3-75] after some early punishment, had three, with Huw Charrington also picking up a wicket after being coaxed out of premature retirement. Charrington also took three catches in the deep and showed good athleticism in the field.

Crickhowell opened up after tea with former Glangrwyney players Phill Bowker on at one end and Ben Bowker at the other.

Ben was getting a good deal of movement through the air, and whilst Glangrwyney’s chase started brightly enough and batsmen showed some positive intent, the asking rate of eight an over was always going to be more than challenging.

Devoy [20] hit four early boundaries, but after young Sharpe had been bowled by Phill Bowker, Ben had the Glangrwyney skipper caught at square leg by Darren Jones who managed to hang on to a ‘skier’.

Barry Sharpe then scored a quick-fire 31, but lost his off stump shortly afterwards with Ben Bowker picking up his second wicket. Nick Jones fell to the classic off spinner’s trap by trying to hit Phill Bowker’s slower ball over long off, only to fall to a well-judged catch by Matthew Snead, some 20 yards in from the boundary.

In fact there was a stark contrast between Glangrwyney’s poor earlier fielding performance and Crickhowell’s, who seemed much brighter and took nearly all the catching chances offered. This was the case with Ioan Lilley who came on and took a stunning catch off his own bowling to dismiss Holmes.

Lilley then had Paul Daniels caught on the boundary by Ben Bowker, showing a bit of magic to take a catch above his head with the boundary inches behind him. Glangrwyney’s middle order was showing no appetite or capability to chase down Crickhowell’s mammoth total, and decided that batting out time for some additional points was the best they could hope for.

Snead came on to bowl a bit of leg spin and Darren Jones also tried his luck. Young Lloyd Francis also came on and bowled three good overs and should have had a wicket but for the one dropped catch from the Crickhowell team.

It took Nick Francis [2 for 9] following up his superb batting performance, to come back on and take another late wicket getting Charrington caught behind by Wallace, having offered some stout lower order resistance.

Glangrwyney finished on 164 for 8 with Crickhowell taking 24 points for the win and Glangrwyney eight.

Next week Crickhowell travel away to bottom placed Ledbury and will be hoping for another win to consolidate their third position in the league and Glangrwyney are at home to Kington, but will have to start winning soon if they are to claw their way out of the bottom two places in the league and avoid relegation.