Llay Welfare (89) lost to Dolgellau (209 for 6) by 120 runs

DOLGELLAU had an excellent day away at Llay Welfare, when gaining the maximum 15 points for the second successive Saturday, with a victory by 120 runs.

Phil Leeds and Gareth Lanagan both made fifties in Dolgellau’s 209 for 6, and there were 3 wickets apiece for Leeds and skipper Mark Edmondson as Llay were dismissed for 89 in the 40th over.

Deciding to bat first on a sweltering hot day, the visitors had made a steady start in the face of some good bowling from Ethan Griffiths and Tom Parry, losing the wicket of Greg Smithies in the third over to Griffiths, when caught by Parry.

Opener Sion Francis and Leeds took it on to 42, but in the 15th over Griffiths took an outstanding running catch on the long on boundary to dismiss Francis for 19, 3 fours, captain Tom Crewe the bowler.

Gareth Lanagan joined Leeds and together they forged a very profitable partnership of 103 for the third wicket.

They managed to rotate the strike well with good running between the wickets aligned with good shot placement, both batsmen punishing any loose deliveries.

Their alliance lasted for 26 overs as the score went from 42 for 2 to 145 for 3.

Lanagan reached his half century in 81 balls and struck 5 boundaries in his total of 50 before he became the first of 3 wickets for slow bowler Dave Phennah when he was bowled attempting a cut shot.

Edmondson hit 3 fours in his 15 but was well caught on the boundary by Jacob Roberts as he tried a big hit off the bowling of Phennah, to make it 163 for 4.

Five runs later Leeds’ fine sojourn at the crease was ended in identical fashion to Lanagan’s dismissal, giving Phennah his third wicket. Leeds got to his fifty from 97 balls and included 6 fours on a lightning fast outfield, having 67 important runs to his name when he was out in the 45th over and having batted for 42 overs.

In the last five overs, Dolgellau’s batsmen added another 41 runs for the loss of one wicket, Jaco Oosthuizen for 12, stumped by John Lloyd off Crewe’s bowling, after adding 27 runs with Rob Humphreys to move the score on to 195 for 6.

From the remaining 7 balls Humphreys and Sam Williams scored 14 more runs before the visitors’ innings closed on 209 for 6. Humphreys remained on 26 not out with 3 fours and Williams 5 not oguresut.

Jason Weaver, Stuart Evans and Marcus Cheyne were all not required to bat.

For Llay, Dave Phennah sent down 12 overs and claimed 3 wickets for 54, Crewe finished with 2 for 39 from 9 overs and Griffiths 1 for 48 from 12. Tom Parry 9 overs for 35 runs and Jack Parry 8 overs for 30 were the other bowlers used.

Jacob Roberts hit the first ball of Llay’s innings for four, but was then bowled by Edmondson’s fourth delivery of the same over. The total had advanced to 31 in 13 overs as Phennah and Ethan Griffiths occupied the crease, keeping out some fine bowling by Edmondson and Oosthuizen.

However, this proved to be the calm before the storm as the hosts slumped to 41 for 5 in the next 8 overs. Griffiths was caught by Lanagan off Edmondson for 11, John Lloyd was caught by keeper Humphreys to give Edmondson a third wicket, Phennah bowled by Oosthuizen for 18, which included 2 fours, and Crewe was caught by Humphreys to give Marcus Cheyne his first wicket for Dolgellau.

Llay never recovered from the collapse and could only add another 48 runs for the loss of their remaining 5 wickets.

Jack Parry made 18 with 4 boundaries until he was bowled by Cheyne, but none of the other later batsmen reached double figures. Dave Wright gave a third catch to Humphreys behind the stumps, this time off Sam Williams’ bowling after making 8, and Huw Jones was well caught at mid-on by Oosthuizen, the bowler being Leeds, who also took the last 2 wickets as Llay were all out for 89 in the 40th over.

Tom Parry and Jack Birch were both bowled leaving Elliot Walters not out.

It was a good all round performance by Dolgellau as they won by 120 runs. Edmondson claimed 3 for 24 from 9 overs and Leeds 3 for 12 from 7.4 overs.

They were supported by Cheyne’s 2 for 22 from 7 and Williams’ 1 for 7 from 4 overs while Oosthuizen’s excellent figures were 12 overs, 2 maidens, 1 for 19.

Saturday’s match balls were sponsored by E. W. Owen, Accountants, Dolgellau and Roy Evans, Newbury. This weekend Dolgellau will travel to play Bersham.