Dolgellau (255) bt Conwy (133) by 122 runs

THERE was a much-needed win for Dolgellau at home to Conwy on Saturday in the North Wales League division one as Greg Smithies and Phil Leeds hit a half century each in their total of 255 all out.

Leeds then took 4 wickets for 15 runs as Conwy were all out for 133, with skipper Raj Britto top scoring for them with 67, to give the hosts the maximum 15 points.

On another hot day, Dolgellau batted first after skipper Mark Edmondson had won the toss. A wicket went down with the total on 23 in the seventh over, Gareth Lanagan caught behind by Evan Williams off the bowling of Graham Meredith.

Opener Smithies was joined by Leeds to put on 56 for the second wicket in 12 overs. Smithies had reached 55 from 52 deliveries with 8 fours and a six, but was then caught by Jake Longmore the first of four wickets for change bowler Britto.

Four wickets for Britto

It became 92 for 3, Britto again the bowler as Lewis Jones held a catch at backward point to dismiss Jaco Oosthuizen for 8.

Britto struck two more blows for the visitors bowling both Edmondson for 5 and debutant Adam Walters, 9, to leave it at 118 for 5 at the half way point of 25 overs.

There followed a good partnership of 64 between Leeds and number seven batsman Rob Humphreys for the 6th wicket.

They took it on to the 39th over and the total to 182, at which Leeds was adjudged lbw for the fifth time this season, the bowler this time was Vaughan Williams.

Leeds had made 53, including 8 fours as he held the Dolgellau innings together.

Humphreys continued with Sam Williams and together they had a stand of 25 to advance the total beyond the 200 mark.

With the score at 207, with seven overs remaining, Humphreys skied a Vaughan Williams delivery to be caught by his brother Evan Williams, the wicketkeeper. Humphreys had made 33 with 2 fours, being the seventh wicket to go down.

Jack Williams was out lbw to Meredith and Jack Williamson was unlucky to be given run out, the fielder Lewis Jones, but a last wicket partnership between Sam Williams and newcomer Marcus Cheyne yielded 32 more runs, before the innings closed on 255 with 9 balls remaining.

Number eleven Cheyne struck 4 fours before he was run out going for a risky second, scoring 19 from 13 balls. Sam Williams was on 24 not out at the close.

Britto bowled 11.3 overs, claiming 4 wickets for 65, whilst Vaughan Williams had 2 for 27 from 6 overs and Meredith 2 for 65 from 12 overs. David Owen, although wicketless, had a decent spell of 12 overs for 43 runs, while Vikram Kantharaju had bowled 3 overs for 27 runs, and Jake Longmore 4 overs for 21.

After bowling the last delivery of Dolgellau’s innings Britto then turned his attention to opening the batting for Conwy.

He lost his fellow opener Rob Gator early on, when bowled by Oosthuizen, but youngster Evan Williams joined Britto in the middle and together they took 104 runs off the hosts’ bowling attack before they were parted in the 25th over.

Britto was the chief aggressor reaching a half century from 56 balls. The alliance was broken by spinner Sam Williams, the fifth bowler used, when he bowled Evan Williams for a watchful 25 with 3 fours.

It was 111 for 2, however the visitors could only add another 22 runs as they collapsed to 133 all out in the 39th over.

Number six bowler Leeds decimated the batting, bowling 10 overs with 4 maidens and taking 4 wickets for just 15 runs.

Britto was the fourth wicket to fall, bowled by Leeds for 67 from 81 balls, including 8 boundaries in a great knock.

Sam Williams finished up with 2 for 21 from 9 overs, Edmondson 1 for 22 from 7.1 and Oosthuizen 1 for 30 from 6 overs. Jack Williams bowled 3 overs for 15 runs and Cheyne 3 overs for 19, while there was a catch for Smithies as Dolgellau won by 122 runs. The match ball was sponsored by Spar and Post Office, Dolgellau.

• In other news, Dolgellau’s Phil Leeds played for Wales Over 50s last week at Chepstow against Devon Over 50s.

Leeds opened the batting with Neil Williams of Pwllheli who made 31 runs, while Leeds went on to top score with a knock of 57, Wales winning by 7 wickets.

On the same day Dolgellau juniors played a competitive match at Aberystwyth who were victorious by 48 runs.