A GRITTY battle saw the home side victorious in the ‘Fine and Country’ West Wales Conference on Saturday, writes Huw Chambers.

Visiting captain Graham Saunders won the toss and elected to bowl. He reaped dividends as his first delivery surprised Anant Saxena, hitting the stumps on the full.

Saunders then persuaded Lahiru Chamil to play too soon, Nigel Salmon taking the catch at point.

Aber debutant Umar Aslam was bowling a great spell and had no luck until he bowled Philip Abraham with a full delivery to leave the innings tottering at 34-4

Ayush Sharma showed good judgement, pulling only when the ball was very short and haring between the stumps.

Aslam finally tempted him, a top edge spooning to mid-on, where Matt Salter was waiting. Sharma had made 33.

Anup Menon and Jestus Jerry then settled the innings down as the change bowlers came on, Menon playing his favourite pull for six.

Jestus also cleared the boundary as the score passed three figures.

Any thoughts of a substantial partnership were dissolved when a calm stop and a powerful throw from Aslam at square leg beat Menon by inches, the skipper departing for 26. Ijaz was then caught by Dylan Garner trying to pummel Nigel Salmon and the score stood at a precarious 110-6 after 25 overs.

There then followed a period of consolidation as the accurate pair of Salmon and Garner attempted to prise out Jestus and Huw Chambers.

The obdurate Chambers blocked ad infinitum, whilst Jestus showcased his flamboyant drives as the pair put on 69 runs. Iestyn Roberts put some pressure on the batsmen with good bounce, and George Robson finally claimed Jestus for 76, his flight enticing the batsman to hole out to a good boundary catch by Steffan Evans.

The last three overs saw Milton John and Chambers accelerating and taking the score to 204, Chambers undefeated on 26 and John likewise on 10.

Aslam took 2-23 and Saunders 2-36.

Steffan Evans and Dylan Garner put on a fine opening stand for Aberystwyth, Evans effortlessly put two fours away in the opening over, and Garner’s long stride negated any movement as he also picked up two fluent boundaries.

Evans hit two towering sixes over the long off boundary, and the fifty stand came up in the tenth over. Ijaz made the breakthrough, a fuller delivery bowling Evans.

Anthony Burrell calmly caressed his first ball to the third man boundary and looked in good form in making his way to 20. With the ball starting to grip, the spin of Jestus was always going to play a role, and he bowled Burrell for 20 at the halfway point.

The pitch was now slow, allowing Jestus and Anant Saxena to put in miserly spells. Iwan Roberts and Garner nudged the ball into gaps, but Roberts was undone by the low bounce as he toe-edged a pull, Sijo dashing in from fine leg to complete a great catch. The scales had tipped to the bowlers, and Garner’s brave vigil ended when he flicked Milton John into the hands of Menon at midwicket.

The asking rate was by now nine an over, and incoming batsmen were unable to break the shackles.

Matt Salter was run out by the athletic Saxena, and Aslam gave Philip Abraham a return catch.

Saunders was bowled by Sharma and the game seemed done and dusted. Iestyn Roberts had other ideas and put the pressure back on the bowlers as he resisted.

One pearl of an on-drive to the boundary will live in the memory. Hopes were finally extinguished when he was caught behind for 27 by Sharma off Philip Abraham, who also bowled Salmon.

Robson put any thoughts of a whitewash to rest as he hit the penultimate ball over midwicket to scatter the infield. He and Ben Willis remained unbeaten.

Ijaz took 2-43, and Phil Abraham took 3-34, passing 200 wickets for the club.

The ‘Lifeline’ man of the match was Jestus Jerry, and players expressed thanks to the groundsman, Mr Robert Mark Lewis, for his work in preparing the pitch during such a dire fortnight.