VISITING skipper Grayson John called correctly and invited the home side to bat on a dry Geufron strip.

Milton John and Anant Saxena opened the bowling, but were played comfortably by Steffan Davies and Rhys Jones, laying a good base for the innings.

Dave Barrow came on to bowl a crucial spell, his length proving ideal.

The big wicket was that of Davies, caught behind by Sumesh Antony for 33, whilst Jones was pouched by Anup Menon off the same bowler.

Anant was rewarded for his persistence as he bowled Ioan Morris.

Alex Bellenie has proved a thorn in Tal/Rachel’s side many times, but he had to depart before troubling the scorers,

Anup’s catch giving Barrow his third wicket.

Dylan Jenkins was then caught behind off Titus Mathew to leave Aber tottering at 75-5.

Dan Ponting was joined by Harvey Knights, and together they rebuilt the innings.

Ponting and Knights both struck early boundaries, and with the field pushed back, Ponting steered the ball into the gaps to rotate the strike, and Knights rode his luck to become his side’s mainstay.

He hit two powerful sixes as the score inched to respectability.

The stand was broken by the return of Barrow, whose partner-in-crime Anup took his third catch of the day to send Ponting back for 37.

Knights still dominated the scoring, but Tal/Rachels had one more card to play in the form of Ijaz, who bowled three batsmen in his first two overs.

All players will be delighted to see Aber’s last man Emlyn Mainwaring returning from serious injury, and he played a crucial role in defending well and helping Knights get the team past 200.

Jestus Jerry bowled Mainwaring in the last over with the score on 208, Knights undefeated on 80. Barrow took 4-30 and Ijaz 3-26.

Father-and-son combination Vinod and Titus Mathew opened the reply, with the younger of the two showing the more aggression.

Titus unfurled his trademark off-drives to take the score past 50.

Any thoughts of a cruise to victory were dispelled when Rhys Jones came on as first change.

He dismissed both openers, with Vinod being caught by wicket-keeper Ben Willis for 15 and Titus being caught by Steffan Davies having just reached a fine 50.

The innings slumped rapidly, with 68-0 becoming 99-5.

Dan Ponting took advantage of the dry nature of the pitch to send back Grayson John, Barrow and Jestus cheaply.

His luring of Barrow for Willis to make a stumping was reminiscent of the Underwood/Knott era.

Anup held up an end whilst Anant launched a ferocious attack on the bowling, three of his first four scoring strokes being sixes.

He repeatedly targeted the square leg boundary, slog-sweeping Ponting to good effect and also being severe on Knights.

Aber were given new hope when Mainwaring trapped Anup in front for 11, but with Anant powering past 50 and Sumesh Antony accompanying him, no further alarms ensued.

Anant was unbeaten on 68 when the game ended, having hit seven fours and five sixes. Ponting ended with 3-42 and Jones with 2-22.