West Wales Club Cricket Conference

Rachels/Talybont ( 234-6) beat Aberystwyth II ( 214 all out) by 20 runs

A rare sunny afternoon was graced by two wonderful innings by two contrasting batsmen, with the spoils going to the more experienced team.

Home captain Graison John called correctly and bravely chose to bat, backing the deep line-up to perform on the greenish pitch.

He himself strode out with Vinod Mathew to face the bowling of Sohaib Syed and Gruff Jones.

Syed beat the bat with no luck, but Mathew was relishing the short ball, and soon played a ferocious pull to the boundary. John also showed his trademark square cut.

The heavy rain of the previous week meant that anything pitched short sat up and begged to be despatched.

Aber skipper Nigel Salmon turned to Tom Constantine, and his fuller length drew blood, bowling John with an off cutter for 13.

Joel Abraham came in, and showed an eye for the quick single, interspersed with an occasional big hit.

He also fell to Constantine, playing too soon at a pull and gloving a catch to Ioan Morris behind the stumps.

Phil Abraham continued to attack, with Austin Thomas having joined the bowling ranks.

The Aber bowlers were well backed up by the ground fielding, but had no luck at all with catches, several mishits landing just beyond or just short of the despairing fielders.

Toby Wilcoxon, in particular, was unlucky.

Thomas managed to bowl Phil Abraham for 19, and after a brief tousle with his father Joseph Thomas, managed to claim the family spoils by having Thomas sr caught at fly slip by Jim Vaughan.

Mathew was continuing to prosper from the inevitable one loose ball every over, and played several wristy on-drives as he looked to dominate the strike.

Salmon brought himself on, and by concentrating on a good length managed to check the score, as well as bowling Mudit Bohra for 9.

Dave Barrow was making a welcome return to the ranks, and seemed in good touch until he miscued the returning Syed to Jones at mid-on.

With one over to go, Mathew retired with a muscular injury, having a magnificent 121 to his name.

Huw Chambers and Rhodri Lloyd-Williams saw out the rest of the innings. Constantine with 2-50 and Thomas with 2-35 were the pick of the bowlers.

Aber needed a sound start, but must have despaired when top batsman Jim Vaughan was trapped by an inswinging yorker by Phil Abraham for 5.

Huge responsibility now lay on the shoulders of Ceri John, and he showed that his forte was the lofted straight drive.

With the pitch now playing more evenly, he dominated the strike and the scoring, with first Tom Constantine, then Austin Thomas and Jack Allen wisely playing stout support roles.

The decisive running was a feature of all three partnerships.

Dave Barrow picked up one catch, and Phil Abraham two to dismiss the three.

With drinks being taken at 20 overs, and Aber virtually halfway, the game was in the balance.

Talybont/Rachels managed to starve John of the strike for the next 10 overs, with Robbie Taylor pulling off a series of magnificent stops at extra cover.

With 93 needed off the last 10, John responded with a tremendous straight drive that carried many a mile into the Penparcau end bushes, and with Michael Glasby also striking the ball well, Aber’s hopes rose again.

However, Graison John brought himself on to bowl Glasby for 17.

John had reached an elegant century, but he sacrificed himself in trying to hit Abraham for another boundary, and departed to a generous ovation for 117.

Nigel Salmon hit a couple of legside boundaries, but sliced to Phil Abraham at point off Graison John, and the match, in doubt for so long, finally went Talybont/Rachels’s way.

Sohaib had looked dangerous, but he swung once too often at Graison, and Joshi pouched a low catch in front of the pavilion.

Joel Abraham took the final two wickets, having Morris and Wilcoxon both well caught by Barrow at long off. Phil Abraham finished with 3- 20 and Joel Abraham matched his father with 3-35.

Twenty runs was the final margin, but figures do no credit to the intensity of the match and the two splendid tons on view.