This season’s Girasol Homes West Wales Conference title race looks like going all the way to the wire with only three points separating the top three teams.Defending champions Aberaeron were beaten by Commoners and Talybont got their challenge back on track with a victory over Aberystwyth.

Put into bat by their opponents, the Commoners wasted no time in piling on the runs with opener Rakesh Bhatia producing a quite superb 168 not out that included sixteen fours and five sixes.

The Commoners closed their innings on a hefty 278-4, the other runs coming from Arshad Sher (40), Bill Somerfield (34) and Will Copeland (19). The only bowling success for Aberaeron was down to Dave Grinszpan (2-59) and Steffan Rees (1-53).

In contrast to the Commoners, the Aberaeron batsmen found runs hard to come by and the reply, which never really got going, ended on 170-6 giving the Commoners victory by 108 runs.

Chris Strange topped the soring with 42, the others to make a few runs being Dave Grinszpan (25), Dave Floyd (20 not out) while Steffan Rees and Hywel Rees both scored 18.

Anish Kuriakose took 3-44 for the Commoners and Arshad Sher finished with 2-40. Guy Baron took 1-36.

Talybont pocketed maximum points when bowling Aberystwyth out for 195 and coming up with 197-5 to win by five wickets.

Zaid Khan (40) and Mel Jones (38) led the run making for Aber with contributions by Ceri John (19), Ifan Thomas (16), Ioan Morris (13) and Ted Trewella (14) also pushing the scoreboard along.

Dave Barrow topped the Talybont bowling figures with 3-44 while Phil Abraham finished with 2-27.

The other wickets were shared between Milton John, Joseph Thomas, Nijo John, Graison John and Arun Ramappar.

The base for the successful Talybont reply came courtesy of Graison John with 63 not out and Phil Abraham (54) who blasted nine boundaries, including two sixes, in his half century.

The remaining runs came from Vinod Mathew (27), Joseph Thomas (17) and Dave Barrow (14).

Successes with the ball for Aber were few and far between. Zaid Khan took 2-40 with Nigel Salmon and Titus Mathew claiming one wicket each.

Tywyn proved too strong for Aberystwyth II’s who lost by 106 runs when bowled out for 122 in chase of 228-6 by the opposition.

Jack Williamson (53) hit a half-century for Tywyn, the others to contribute runs to the cause being James Bradbury-Willis (40), Callum Taylor (37), Ted Hughes (27) and skipper David Jenkins (26). James Breeze took 3-46 for Aber with Titus Mathew claiming 2-38.

Richard Rees produced an inspired spell of bowling for Tywyn, taking 4-5 in his eight over spell which included six maidens.

Ellis Melia (2-10) and Jack Williamson (2-35) weighed in with wickets as well while Zaid Khan (37) and James Breeze (25) offered the only resistance of note in the Aber reply.