AFTER two early-season wins, Aberystwyth hosted Penygroes 1st XI at the Geufron on Saturday hoping to consolidate their position at the top of the league table.

The visitors won the toss and, unsurprisingly given the firm pitch and sunny conditions, elected to bat first.

Opening batters, Adam Lyons and Sion Thomas began brightly, running well between the wickets and punishing the occasional loose ball for boundaries.

The pair reached 42 without loss before Joel Soosainathan struck with the last ball of the tenth over, bowling Thomas for a well-made 20.

Bryn Williams, in the unusual position of first change bowler this week, then entered the fray and gave a good illustration of why he has been the main strike-bowler of Aber’s attack over the last year.

He immediately removed Lyons and, together with left-arm spinner Aadvik Khare, put the brakes on the scoring rate.

The pressure told as Khare struck twice in two balls to dismiss Rhodri Morgans and Ashley Lyons, both without troubling the scorers.

Richard Smith survived the hat-trick ball, but when Williams and Khare both struck again, the Penygroes innings had subsided to 74-6 and the visitors were struggling to set a competitive total.

That they got anywhere near doing so was down to the efforts of Stuart Willis, who marshalled the tail-enders with skill and batted with increasing confidence in the second half of the innings.

Willis’ 57 proved the mainstay of Penygroes final total of 129, as Steff Roberts (2-7) and George Robson (1-22) polished off the lower-order batters.

Williams returned fine figures of 2-10 off 8 overs, while Khare took 3-18 off 8.

Penygroes needed an early breakthrough to sustain any hope of victory, and Sion Thomas provided it, bowling Aber skipper Adam Shaw in the second over.

Thereafter, however, Iestyn Thomas and Steff Roberts advanced serenely towards the victory target. Iestyn struck several high-class shots in a chanceless innings of 32 not out, while Steff accelerated rapidly with some brutal strokeplay, striking 14 fours and a six in the game’s decisive innings of 87 not out.

Aberystwyth reached the victory target in just 18.3 overs to record a convincing 9-wicket victory. The club would like to express its gratitude for the generous support of The Glengower Hotel which sponsored this week’s fixture.