ABERAERON celebrated retaining the ‘Fine and Country’ Conference title by running riot, with a little bit of batting glitter rubbing off on their adversaries as well, writes Huw Chambers.

Records were smashed as 700 runs were scored on the parched Vicarage Fields.

Visiting skipper Steffan Rees won the toss, and with their opponents being the only team with a chance of catching them, he decided to bat and snuff out any challenge.

Opening batsmen Ollie Evans and Alex Pitchford certainly rewarded him, as the first ten overs saw 92 runs scored, with both batsmen finding the boundaries at will.

The flow was only stemmed when first-change bowler Phil Abraham bowled Pitchford for 32 in the 11th over.

Jacob Jenkinson entered the fray, and with both batsmen having been in a rich vein of form this year, the ominous portents were fulfilled as they shared a partnership of 191.

Both showed that classical shots have a place in the game, as Evans found the boundary 28 times, crossing it once.

He was finally dismissed by Phil Abraham, his stumps being disturbed for a mighty 136.

With seven overs left, Jamie Davies’s bludgeoning bat was the ideal foil to Jenkinson, whose own century was reached with a fine boundary.

He scored 21 fours and one six, finishing unbeaten on 117. Davies had raced to 44 as the innings closed on a massive total of 367, with Phil Abraham fighting a brave battle in taking 2-70.

In reply, Tal/Rachels needed both to balance honour in chasing and the desperate need for bonus points.

Lahiru Chamil went in the fourth over, being caught by Jenkinson off Josh Roper for 8. Sumesh Antony then joined Vinod Mathew and the Left-hand/Right-hand combination staved off the bowling as the score mounted.

Mathew was dismissed for 28, being trapped for 28 by Evans.

Titus Mathew then joined Antony, and their driving and running between the wickets caught the eye.

The score reached 176, Antony having exactly half of that on 88.

With three figures in sight, the experience of Paul Hughes enticed Antony out of his crease, and Dave Floyd whipped off the bails.

The irrepressible Ollie Evans then dismissed Phil Abraham and Sreeraj cheaply, and the equally omnipresent Jenkinson got rid of Joel Abraham and Jestus Jerry as the score stood at 238-7.

Jerry’s dismissal was a brilliant catch by Ollie Evans at backward point.

Tal/Rachels had gained maximum batting points and could have been forgiven for giving up the ghost.

However, the last few overs saw a resurgence as Mathew and Vivek took up the attack again, scoring 90 off the last nine overs in a brilliant counterattack.

Mathew reached his first century for the club, with 13 fours and 1 six.

Vivek fell to the penultimate delivery for 28, a blinding catch at mid-off by Steff Rees off Liam Regan. Mathew was unbeaten on 122.

Ollie Evans took 3-65 in a stupendous man of the match display, and Jenkinson took 2-57. The match total might well be a league record.

Aberaeron being the first club to retain their title for a number of years.