Aneurin Norman’s 1st XI continued their confident start to this year’s campaign by comprehensively thrashing Ynysygerwn on their own patch yesterday! Enough to see MCC’s Premier XI top the Premier League after three rounds!
By way of a break with his own tradition, Noddy decided to bowl first…and, in no time, he was setting the example for others to follow! He and fellow all-rounder Dan Roberts reduced Ynys to 5-3, 2 wickets to the captain and one to his vice-captain but, more importantly, the home club’s three key players, Messrs Sylvester, McCormack & Grant, were out! Now what….? Recovery by Ynys? Who would step up and fill the injured Dan Lewis-Williams shoes in terms of wicket taking?
There was, in the event, to be no worthwhile recovery by Ynysygerwn…Noddy (2-10) & Dan (3-21, plus two catches!) saw to that but the team still needed someone else to step up here. And here he came…off-spinning all-rounder Max Phillips! Aided by Ryan Ainworth (1-35), Max polished off the middle order and tail, taking 4-18 in 9 overs! A tremendous performance for sure! Ynysygerwn were bowled out for 106 in 38 overs…and, of that, Wales Minor Counties player Sam Davies scored 59no! Tea would taste good!
Only 107 to win…nothing could possibly go wrong!
MCC innings, first ball from Ryan Sylvester…what happened next? Noddy’s side were 0-1! OMG!
Never fear, Dan Roberts, fed up being out of the firing line for a while, had no intention of letting this mishap wrestle the initiative from his teammates! 22 overs later, after some fine batsmanship, he and Scott De Weymarn both left the scene undefeated! MCC lost no further wickets as these two left handers knocked off the 107 runs needed to clinch a really emphatic victory! Danrob had scored 62no (11 fours) while Scott finished on 36no (3 fours & 2 sixes).
Our ‘A’ XI played their first game in SWCA’s Division 7 yesterday and duly defeated Landore at Murton..a great start! This competition is played on a straight win/lose basis, with each side having a maximum of 40 overs to bat.
MCC went in first and finished on 194-6, thanks initially to Rhys Parry (32, 4 fours), 15 year old Ben Prothero-Banks (a fine 67, 3 fours) and John Courtney (21, 2 fours). All good and valuable stuff, laying an ideal platform from which someone else could launch himself and provide late impetus to the home team’s innings. Well, skipper Alex Protheroe became the second Club captain of the day to rip the heart and soul out of the opposition! He took guard with the scoreboard showing a total of 107-4, duly added 26 with BPB and, then…a further unbroken 58 with Jack Dunn (11no, 1 four). Alex doesn’t do running no more so his scintillating knock of 58no included 2 fours & 5 sixes!! Superb!
In reply, our visitors were handily placed on 107-4 at one point, thanks mainly to a productive fourth wicket stand of 66. However, Alex’s bowlers kept their nerve to see Landore finish on 171-7, 23 runs short. There were two run outs with the remaining five wickets being shared between 15 year old Matthew Gully (1-15), Jack Dunn (2-45) and BPB (2-40). Another excellent win!
The most exciting match of the day took place at Marespool, where Stuart Seaton’s 2nd XI played host to Ynysygerwn.
Batting first, Seats’ Boys were bowled out for 220 from their 50 overs. Life was tough early doors as the side stuttered to 88-5. 14 year old Harri Turner remained not out, however, and it was to be his excellent knock of 56 (6 fours) that formed the backbone of MCC’s innings. Guys around him played a few shots but kept getting out as they looked well set. Coming in at 27-1, Harri was out with the score looking a more respectable 167-7. His most profitable partnership (70) had been with Luke Brown (36, 2 fours & 3 sixes). It was then left to the evergreen master craftsman Steve Powell (35, 2 fours) and 17 year old spin bowler Sam Harris (15, 1 four) at the end to take the side to 220 all out.
After tea, Ynys were soon coasting it and looking well in control, at 154-0! Then Luke & Jack Straw removed both openers in quick succession…160-2..game on!! These two bowlers (4-38 & 2-52 respectively), plus Mattie Shepherd (2-34), carried on taking wickets…suddenly, Ynysygerwyn were 201-9, 20 runs still required, plenty of time!
Sadly for Seats’ side, it was not to be yesterday. The tail wagged, resulting in our visitors from the Neath Valley scrambling home in the 44th over, to win by the slenderest of margins..1 wicket!
Today (Sunday), the 1st XI lost at Skewen in the first round of the SWCA T20 Cup. However, immediately after that defeat, Ryan Aingworth’s troops marched on Ynystawe, scored 169 and bowled our hosts out for less! No further details are known at this stage but go to our play-cricket website tomorrow for all this weekend’s full scorecards.
Next Saturday (21st), the 1st XI take on Newport at Marespool, the 2nd XI travel to Clydach and the ‘A’ XI play at Neath.