CLWB Criced Y Bala travelled to Dodleston School knowing they faced a difficult challenge against a strong Brymbo CC 3rd XI side.

The task became even tougher before a ball had been bowled, with Bala only able to field nine players.

Despite the disadvantage, the Lakesiders showed tremendous character, determination and team spirit throughout the afternoon.

After winning the toss, captain Jason Jones elected to bat first, looking to put runs on the board and give his side something to defend.

Bala’s innings never quite found the momentum they would have liked, with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Rubel Ahmed got things moving with 13, while Dan Williams battled hard for 11.

ack White contributed 19 and Tommy Hughes added a valuable 23 in the middle order.

The standout performances came later in the innings.

Joe Evans played positively for an excellent 30 from 35 deliveries, striking a six and two boundaries, while captain Jason Jones remained unbeaten on 17.

The highlight of the innings came from Daf Hughes, who produced a superb counter-attacking knock of 25 from just 22 balls, including three boundaries.

His aggressive partnership with Jason Jones gave Bala a late boost and pushed the total beyond the 150 mark.

Despite being two players short, Bala battled their way to 152 all out in 39.5 overs.

Defending 152 was always going to be a huge ask with only nine players on the field, particularly against a Brymbo side containing a number of experienced players

Bala could not have asked for a better start.

With the very first ball of the Brymbo innings, Jack White found the outside edge, and Daf Hughes completed an absolutely stunning catch, one that will be talked about around Castle Park for a long time to come.

It was a catch of the highest quality and surely one of the leading contenders for Catch of the Season.

The dismissal gave Bala the dream start and showed the determination of a side refusing to be beaten without a fight.

However, Brymbo’s response was led by an outstanding innings from J Hughes, who dominated the chase with a magnificent 109 not out from just 64 balls, including 12 fours and 3 sixes.

Supported by Alex Smith’s unbeaten 27, Brymbo steadily took control before accelerating towards the target.

Despite the result, Bala continued to fight throughout the innings.

The bowlers kept working hard in difficult circumstances, with Jack White (1-37) and Rubel Ahmed (1-48) claiming the wickets.

Every player remained committed and competitive right until the end.

Brymbo eventually reached 153-2 in 23.5 overs, securing victory by 8 wickets.

While the scoreboard shows a defeat, the result only tells part of the story. Turning up with nine players against one of the stronger sides in the division and still posting 152 runs demonstrated the character that has become a hallmark of this Bala side.