OPENING batsman Ben Harper crafted a superb century when carrying his bat for an unbeaten 105 as Rachels Talybont posted a match-winning total of 254 for 6 against Tregaron.

The visitors were all out for 133 as Talybont registered a solid West Wales Conference win by 121 runs on a cloudy afternoon at the Geufron.

Put in to bat on a damp pitch after losing the toss, Rachels struggled initially as Tregaron’s opening bowlers got the ball swinging significantly.

Soon Vinod Mathew was bowled by Llion Jones for 1, and he was quickly followed by Phil Abraham, caught for 9 off the bowling of Alun Jones.

Opener Ben Harper started to find his feet, however, and he was joined by Ben Barret, who hit a sparkling 22 runs before being caught off a miscue from the bowling of Alun Hughes.

This bought Rachels captain John Glasby to the wicket, and he and Harper began to score freely, passing 120 runs before the half way mark.

Harper was scoring heavily on the offside with lovely cover drives and late cuts, whilst Glasby regularly found the boundary with anything short on the leg-side. With a big score increasingly likely Glasby was caught for 40, off the bowling of Hughes.

Anish never got going and was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Chris Heigt as the innings stuttered, before Harper was joined by Graison John, and these two batsmen saw Rachels past 250, with Harper completing his maiden century in style, finishing on 105 not out.

He was well supported by Graison with a rapid 28 runs, whilst the pick of the Tregaron bowlers was Llion Jones, who got the ball to swing well to finish with 3 wickets for 45 from his 9 overs, backed up well by Alun Hughes, with 2 for 41 from his 9.

Tregaron struggled early on against some very tight bowling from Anish and Simon Lloyd Williams, both of whom swung the ball at will and bowled a good line and length in the increasingly windy conditions.

After Brogan was run out for 4, wickets fell regularly to the opening bowlers, leaving Tregaron reeling on 21 for 4 until Ryan Jones came to the crease. He defended well against the excellent opening spells, before also hitting out as he got his eye in.

Supported initially by Llion Jones with 17 and then Barri Williams with 19, Jones kept the tail wagging with some big hits and it was only the introduction of Vinod Mathew’s spin into the attack that finally prized him out bowled for an excellent 35.

Mathew then finished Tregaron off by bowling Williams and finishing with 2 for 18. Anish with 3 for 16 was the star bowler, along with Simon Lloyd Williams with his 3 for 33.Aberystwyth Commoners (267) beat Tywyn & District (141) by 126 runs

ABERYSTWYTH University Commoners made a strong return to the West Wales Cricket Club Conference by securing a must-win match against Tywyn and District CC by 126 runs to remain in the championship race.

The home team elected to bat first and they made a substantial total of 267 for the loss of 8 wickets. Rakesh Bhatia top scored with 123, followed by David Wilcockson (40) and a short cameo role by Aiden Reveley (26).

The most prominent bowling figures for Tywyn and District CC were from Dave Jenkins (4 overs 2 for 31) and Ted Hughes (5 overs 3 for 37).

In the other innings, the Commoners made early breakthroughs and kept restricting the visitors to a low run score, thanks to outstanding bowling spells from James Bryan (7 overs 2 for 20), Dave Wilcockson (5 overs 3 for 9) and Umar Aslam (9 overs 1 for 21). Callum Taylor (56) and Dylan Williams (32) were the top scorers for Tywyn and District CC.Aberaeron (67) lost to Aberystwyth Seconds (68-3) by 7 wkts

ABERYSTWYTH Seconds turned the form book upside down when they triumphed by seven wickets against an Aberaeron side that had previously beaten their first team this season.

On winning the toss, the youthful visitors asked Aberaeron to bat and Caleb Spencer and Jamie Holder used the conditions to their advantage with a fine display of swing bowling.

John Fice was the first to go for 1 when caught by Rob Rudge off Holder, and Spencer then ripped through the heart of the top order, removing dangerous Chris Strange for 4, Hywel Rees for 0 and Neil Snowdon for 1.

When opener Jonion Evans was caught for 8 from Holder, Aberaeron were 22 for 5, but Rhodri Severs, 18, and Euryl Rees, 22, added 40 runs for the sixth wicket, before the innings subsided on 67 all out in just 20 overs.

Spencer returned 3 for 19 from 6 overs, and Holder 2 for 19 from 6.

Aberystwyth did make heavy weather on reaching 19 for 2, with Rob Rudge, 9, and Tom Williams, 10, both dismissed off the bowling of Paul Hughes (2 for 33 from 6 overs).

There followed a lively partnership from the two 15 year-olds of Zaid Khan, 32 not out, and Owen Keyworth, 10, who was caught by Fice off the bowling of Snowdon, before victory was completed in the 14th over.