AFTER Dolgellau’s comfortable victory at home to Mold the previous weekend, it was the opposite situation when visiting second-placed Pwllheli on Saturday.

The home team registered a relatively easy eight wicket success, scoring 175 for 2, as they chased down 172 runs in 42 overs - a revised target due to a rain interruption. Dolgellau having made 182 for 8 from 46.1 overs, Sion Francis scoring 46.

Pwllheli’s star man was South African all-rounder Jason Underwood, who struck an unbeaten 89 and claimed 3 for 50 with his spin bowling, and his efforts were the difference between the sides.

Winning the toss and batting, Dolgellau lost their first wicket at 10, Gareth Lanagan caught and bowled by Sean Reilly.

The visitors then had a good partnership of 83 in 18 overs for the second wicket between opener Sion Francis and Greg Smithies, in the face of some decent Pwllheli bowling. In the 23rd over, Smithies was dismissed caught and bowled by Underwood, having made a steady and watchful 32, with a single boundary.

Being at one stage 93 for 1, Dolgellau subsided to 96 for 4 and 104 for 5, as four wickets fell for just 11 runs in 7 overs, with the home bowlers getting on top.

Francis top scored with 46, which included a six and 5 fours in a very good knock. He followed Smithies back to the pavilion without further addition to the 93, bowled in Syed Aslam’s third over.

Pwllheli were delighted to dismiss the visitors’ own Springbok, Eric Herbert, for a low score, also bowled by Aslam, to leave it at 96 for 4, which became 104 for 6 when Geraint Jones was caught at mid-off by Sean Reilly, from bowler Owen Reilly.

Stuart Evans and skipper Phil Leeds advanced the score on to 131, at which Evans attempted a big hit, only to be caught by Craig Edwards from the bowling of Morgan Murray-Williams for 17 runs.

Leeds and Mark Edmondson produced 34 runs for the seventh wicket, but then both were given out lbw to Underwood in the space of one run. Leeds had made 15 runs and Edmondson made 31 from 24 balls, with 6 fours in a quick-fire knock.

Sam Williams and Rob Humphreys added 16 runs to take it to 182 for 8, but proceedings were halted by rain sweeping in from the west, with 46.1 overs bowled.

Tea was taken and when the rain subsided and the mathematics calculated, Pwllheli’s target became 172 from 42 overs.

In the visitors’ innings Underwood took 3 for 50 from 11 overs, Aslam 2 for 22 from 8, Owen Reilly 1 for 21, Murray-Williams 1 for 26 and Sean Reilly 1 for 40.

Pwllheli’s Craig Edwards and Nick Butterworth started off in determined mood, riding their luck in an opening stand of 34 in 7 overs, before Edwards was bowled by Edmondson for 21 with 4 boundaries.

Seven runs later, Butterworth was adjudged lbw, Edmondson taking a second wicket. Butterworth hit 3 fours in his 20.

Underwood came in to join Murray-Williams in the middle and were rarely troubled in having an unbroken alliance of 134 for the third wicket as they carried the hosts to victory with 9.4 overs to spare.

Underwood took centre stage, his share of the stand being an excellent 89 not out from 70 deliveries, while Murray-Williams batted skilfully and sensibly making an undefeated 38 from 83 balls.

Underwood struck 5 sixes and 8 fours, Murray-Williams having 4 boundaries.

Pwllheli reached 172 for 2 in 33.2 overs, to keep them in second place behind Northop, while Dolgellau remain in third.

The only bowling success was Edmondson on 2 for 57 from 8 overs, as the bowling was made more difficult due to the wet ball being hard to grip and control.

Sam Williams bowled well without taking a wicket, having 10 overs for 32 runs, and Leeds sent down 5 overs for just 8 runs. Herbert, 0 for 41, and Jack Williamson, with 0 for 36, were the other Dolgellau bowlers as Pwllheli, captained by Michael Hughes, achieved victory.

• The Match Balls for last Saturday’s match were sponsored by Automax (Sion Ellis) and Riteprice (Clive Evans).