A SEEMINGLY under strength Cowbridge Cricket Club First XI chased 249 at Ynystawe and won in a canter by nine wickets.
The Premier Two leaders took such a beating that the only compensation to the home side was that the result was not overly delayed. The shellshocked home XI had plenty of time on Saturday to go to whatever social activity is legal in their village.
Having set Cowbridge a target of 249 in 50 overs there was an opening stand of 224, with Ben Wright getting 124 not out and Aman Gandhi 98. Cowbridge got home in just 39 overs.
To nobody’s surprise the delightful small ground, fast outfield and excellent pitch proved to be the perfect stage for a run chase. This charming ground bears no comparison to its previous incarnation as part of the Lower Swansea Valley copperworks belt. In late Victorian times, according to an eisteddfod entry, when the devil chanced upon it he thought he was close to home – given all the fume and stink.
Ben Wright certainly enjoyed the opportunity. Getting his second 100 of the season, he made 128 not out off 113 balls, including 19 fours and four sixes. The concern that Cowbridge’s skipper Christopher Willey might have harboured was that they were to chase a large total without their rock, Ben’s usual partner opener Tom Merilah,t who was absent nursing a hamstring injury.
As it turned out, Cowbridge enjoyed a quite beautifully played 98 from Aman Gandhi off 105 balls, including 13 four and three sixes. It was a quite outstanding innings with some thrilling drives through extra cover. After four weeks of giving glimpses of exquisite stroke play, Aman played an innings that his pedigree, T20 international cricket for Kenya, suggested he would be capable of.
The stand was 224. The two Cowbridge batsmen had begun in cautious mood, falling well short of the five runs an over required. However, by the time fifty came up they were at the 10 overs mark and the hundred saw both batsmen at 51 apiece. The 200 came up and was passed with no more attention than passing through a request stop on an express train.
By now, battered by Ben and Aman, the locals had given up. Had they possessed a white flag they would have raised it.
Earlier, the Cowbridge bowling attack, without Tom Williams and Brett Hounsell, restricted the home side to 248-9. Again, Cameron Jeffers bowled his leg breaks with miserly efficiency and was the pick of the Cowbridge attack with 2-39. The other bowlers took a hammering with Rhys Davies (0-48), Sam Russell (2-56), Aman Gandhi (1-45) and Matt Smart (2-57).
The result puts Cowbridge second, nine points adrift of Chepstow. At the start of the season Cowbridge would have taken this position coming up to halfway. The Premier Two Championship would be worth winning in its own right but it is the gateway to Premier One and the fulfilment of a dream to play at the very highest level.
JRB
