COMMONERS brought a strong looking side down to face the Grisol Homes West Wales Conference league leaders Aberaeron and won by 42 runs in a high-scoring encounter.

Put into bat by Aberaeron, Commoners’ skipper Rakesh Bhatia wasted no time in producing runs and recorded magnificent 143 in the scorebook as his side posted a formidable 317 for 2.

It was always going to be a big ask for Aberaeron to reach the runs required, but Chris Strange (65) and Hywel Rees (50) hit half centuries, before the hosts finished on 275 for 7.

With grey skies above and darker clouds looming, Aberaeron won the toss and chose to have a bowl.

Commoners’ openers Rakesh Bhatia and Dave Willcockson combined solid defence with powerful hitting of any lose deliveries to maintain a healthy run rate.

The Aberaeron bowlers were unable to make a breakthrough until Wilcockson top edged a pull shot, and Chris Strange duly took the catch, giving Josh Roper a wicket, with Wilcockson on 68 and the team on 186-1.

Umar Aslam joined Rakesh in the middle and the two looked to push on the score. Rakesh eventually fell to Louis Fice, with Josh Roper comfortably taking a catch at deep square leg, after amassing 143 runs, including 4 sixes and 12 fours.

Aslam (71) and Ravi Mander (7) were not out at the end of the innings. Commoners finished with a very impressive 317-2.

Paul Hughes was the pick of the bowlers for Aberaeron. In a high scoring game he managed to bowl a very economical spell at the start of the innings, and returned for 2 overs near the close. He finished with figures of 0-42 off 9 overs (2 maidens).

Hywel Rees also bowled well, troubling all the batsmen without reward.

Although an imposing total, Aberaeron have chased similar before at home, including a very memorable match against the Commoners just last year, and so there was some confidence in the home side.

However, calamity hit when Dave Grinszpan was run out very early on with a fine piece of fielding. This was a big boost to the visitors.

Chris Strange joined John Fice in the middle and immediately hit his rhythm. Fice was out a few overs later caught off the bowling of Guy Barron having scored 9 and the team on 51-2.

This brought together the partnership which offered the home team the best chance of victory, with captain Hywel Rees coming in.

The pair batted well together and the required run rate looked like it would not trouble them. However, hopes of the home team and supporters were dashed when Strange was deceived by a quicker ball from Arshad Sher to be clean bowled for 65 with the team score only on 127.

The captain fell with the score on 172-4, bowled by Will Proctor for 50 - and the Commoners were clear favourites from this point.

The middle order put up some resistance, Neil Snowdon caught Aslam, bowled Arshad Sher for 19; Alex Pitchford caught Sher, bowled Proctor for 6; and Sam Jenkinson run out for 14.

Josh Roper put on a late order show for the supporters committed to see the end. He smashed 39 off 16 deliveries and ended not out with Dave Floyd (30) with the final score on 275.

Roper’s teammates voted him their man-of-the-match for his very entertaining innings.

Umar Aslam bowled a tidy spell to only go for 43 runs from his 9 overs, but Arshad Sher 2-54 probably deserves most recognition for an outstanding performance with the ball, having taken key wickets and catches.