A YOUNG cricketer from Lampeter was a member of the Wales National County Cricket side that produced a performance for the history books in defeating Glamorgan County Cricket Club, by three wickets in a closely fought 50-over contest at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens recently.

Described as a showcase fixture for the Wales National County, formerly the Wales Minor Counties side, against their first class counterparts, it proved a chastening and embarrassing experience for Glamorgan in their only 50 overs fixture before their Royal London Cup campaign, which subsequently began with victory against Warwickshire only two days later.

Bowling first change from the River Taff end, 20-year-old Tomos Jones, the former Ysgol Bro Pedr pupil and Clwb Criced Bronwydd speedster bowled five overs for 18 runs, unluckily having Glamorgan top scorer Tom Cullen dropped by Steve Reingold, diving forward at mid-wicket.

Jones then had the unenviable task of returning to the attack towards the end of the Glamorgan innings, finishing with the very respectable figures of six overs for 25 runs, conceding only two boundaries, as Glamorgan were all out for 202 runs in 48.4 overs.

In a very exciting ending, Wales National County chased down the required runs in the final over of the game when current Glamorgan staff player Lukas Carey of Pontarddulais CC, hit the winning boundary with only three balls to go.

The Wales one-day side will next be in action in the semi final of the NCCA trophy versus Berkshire CCC at Port Talbot CC on Sunday, 8 August, the first time Wales have reached this stage of the competition since 1996.

A member of the Wales Minor Counties/National County one day and three day squads since 2017, Jones also performed admirably in the opening NCCA three-day championship match against Cornwall CCC played at Pontarddulais CC on 11-13 July in Division 2 of the Western Conference.

In a rain affected match, Cornwall were dismissed for 157 runs in their first innings, with Jones taking 3 wickets for 35 runs.

Wales were subsequently all out for 271 runs in their first innings with Jones 3 not out, leaving themselves around 35 overs to bowl Cornwall out in their second innings to force an unlikely victory.

However, with Cornwall 79 for 1 after 27 overs, the players shook hands with no positive result possible in the remaining time allocated. The game therefore ended in a draw with Wales National County collecting 10 points from the opening fixture and Cornwall collecting 8 points.

A frustrating start to the NCCA Championship for this talented Wales squad, seeking promotion to Division 1 of the Western Conference for next season. Their next fixture will be away to Devon CCC at Sandford CC near Exeter 0n 25-27 July .

Currently playing for Bridgend Town Cricket Club in Division 1 of the South Wales Premier Cricket League, Tomos, together with namesake and former Glamorgan County Cricket Club player Alex Jones, have been causing havoc in Division 1 of the Premier League this season, taking 50 wickets between them with a third of the season still to play.

Alex Jones is currently the leading wicket taker in Division 1 with 26 wickets, closely followed by Tomos on 24 wickets.

With best figures of 5 wickets for 27 runs against Neath CC and with a strike rate of a wicket every 19 balls, Tomos is proving a handful this season around the cricket grounds of South Wales.