Sport
Glamorgan gain dramatic victory
Royal London Cup
Glamorgan 281-7 beat Essex 280-9 by 1 run
ESSEX lost the opportunity of maintaining their 100% record in the competition, when they lost in an exciting last over finish against Glamorgan, who gained their second win from five games.
Glamorgan were indebted to Colin Ingram, who scored a superb 142, which included four fours and eight sixes, two striking the pavilion roof, while Varun Chopra, who made 124, threatened to win the game for Essex. Following Chopra’s dismissal, panic set in and Essex were two runs short of the seven they required to win from the last over.
Glamorgan, who had elected to bat on the pitch used for the previous one day game on Friday, soon lost their openers, Jacques Rudolph and David Lloyd, who were both dismissed by the New Zealand seamer Neil Wagner. Ingram and Will Bragg then played with extreme caution against Wagner and James Porter and after the first ten over power play the score had only progressed to 26 for 2.
Their caution however was rewarded as the third wicket pair put on 98 in 22 overs, before Bragg, having scored 59 from 79 balls, was stumped down the leg side from Ashar Zaidi’s left arm spin- the second time in successive innings for Bragg to be dismissed in this way.
Kiran Carlson then joined Ingram, and the 18-year-old, who top scored in the previous game, again showed plenty of promise, with an array of attacking strokes, scoring 36 from 33 balls, before giving Ravi Bopara a return catch.
Ingram, playing every ball on merit, reached his sixteenth on day hundred, and his third against Essex, before launching a furious assault on the Essex attack, notably Ryan Ten Doeschate, who was struck for three sixes in an over and with 87 runs scored in the last ten overs, Essex faced a challenging target of 282.
Glamorgan’s opening attack struck immediately, and after Marchant De Lange had Nick Browne caught behind, and in-form Tom Westley was bowled by Michael Hogan, Essex were 2 for 2 after nine balls.
The visitors then replicated Glamorgan’s recovery, as Alistair Cook and Chopra settled into a productive partnership.
De Lange didn’t help his, or Glamorgan’s cause, by greeting Chopra with three short pitched deliveries that the batsman struck for sixes over the mid- wicket boundary. He outscored Cook, reaching 50 from 59 balls, and they added 103, before Cook gave a low catch to cover point.
Ravi Bopara then supported Chopra in a stand of109, with Chopra reaching his third List A century for Essex, and Bopara making an attacking 56, before the latter was unluckily run out, when Craig Meschede dropped a return catch from Chopra, only to deflect the ball on to the stumps at the bowler’s end.
Essex then faltered, losing Adam Wheater and Chopra, who was bowled by Meschede, and at 239 for 6, the visitors required 43 from the last six overs.
Essex were favourites at that stage, but when Ashar Zaidi and Ten Doeschate were dismissed, and Simon Harmer ran himself out, four runs were needed from the final ball with the last pair at the crease. They could only manage two and Glamorgan had won by the slender margin of one run.
Varun Chopra said: “We are all disappointed- we were on course to win after 40 overs, but then threw away wickets. All credit to Colin Ingram, who played a magnificent innings. We have to pick ourselves up from this, it’s our first defeat of the season, but we have the chance to bounce back against Sussex on Wednesday.”
Sport
Swifts eyes on double.
Monkton Swifts reserves have blown away the second division this season and now have the double in their sights. They face Merlins Bridge reserves in the semi final of the second division cup and lived up to their favourites tag.
Swifts won comfortably with key player Butland getting three assists and Josh Sture grabbing a brace. Waterman and Rhys Sture added the other goals as outstanding Monkton won 4-0.
Herbrandston and Johnston played in the other semi final and this was a much harder fixture to call. The promoted Herbie a younger and perhaps less physical outfit in comparison to the Tigers. Johnston quickly took control of the game when they found themselves two up after just 29 minutes.
However when Scott Murray was shown a red card just eight minutes later, Herbie would have been confident of staging a comeback. Despite being a man light, Johnston held Herbie until the final minute of the 90, when Alex Ouzman gave Herbie late hope. The Tigers held firm however and progress to the final where they will be underdogs. A tag that I’m sure the players and manager Steven Allen won’t mind too much.
Sport
Tenby hit five against downbeat Bridge
On a beautiful day in Tenby, the hosts welcomed Merlins Bridge to The Clicketts, fresh from their West Wales semi final defeat midweek.
The Bridge squad was missing some influential players after picking up some injuries and the visiting team asked questions over the fitness of the pitch, which, according to the Bridge management, was too hard.
The referee waved these away and the game was on, with the Tenby squad clearly thinking they were already in the heads of the Bridge team.
Almost straight from Kick off Tenby set their stall out with some great attacking play, which Jerome Mansbridge benefitted from in just the second minute putting the home team ahead.
The bridge players weren’t at the races and Tenby capitalised scoring a further 4 first half goals, including a Mansbridge hat trick, leaving the away team bewildered and 5-0 down at half time.
What could have been a hugely embarrassing defeat for a team that harboured title hopes at the beginning of the season, turned around somewhat at half time, when Dai Davies, the club captain, almost singlehandedly dragged them to a much higher level in the second half, ensuring his players kept their discipline and worked hard against a very good Tenby team. Undoubtedly Merlin’s Bridge were the better team in the second period, but the damage had already been done in the first half, and despite Bridges best efforts, the score remained 5-0 to the home team.
In a game which saw Tenby jump to 4th in the league, they can be hugely proud of their season and will look to build on that for their next in Division one.
A fantastic game on a beautiful day with a good home crowd watching, the team from the Clicketts will be justifiably happy with their afternoons work.
Tenby 5-0 Merlins Bridge.
Sport
Preseli poses a challenge for novice crews
THE END of April will see the popular novice night rally organised by the Teifi Valley Motor Club being held in Pembrokeshire. On the weekend of 27th and 28th April, Rali Bro Preseli will see 75 novice crews tackling the winding and challenging roads that Pembrokeshire has to offer.
Clerks of the Course, father and son Richard and Jason Davies along with Aled Richards have a terrific route lined up for competitors. Starting as usual at the Crymych Mart, the route will appeal to all novice drivers and navigators.
“It will offer a bit of everything. It will be challenging but easy to follow with some whites thrown in the mix. Aled has designed the whole route and we’ve done the donkey work,” said Jason, now in his second year as Clerk of the Course.
As regular competitors, Jason and Richard wanted to give something back to the sport and they enjoy being on the organising side of the things.
Jason, who won the Bro Preseli with his father in 2013, explained: “We’ve competed in the Preseli on several occasions, and we decided to give something back to the sport and that’s why dad and I thought it would be a good idea to help.
“It’s interesting to see how it all comes together and the work involved, and there’s a lot of that,”
He also won the event with Tim Hand in 2016 and was fourth overall in 2019.
Aled Richards, Joint Clerk of the Course, knows the routes of Rali Bro Preseli like the back of his hand having only ever missed it once since its formation in 2003. He’s driven on four of them in 2005 – 2008 with the best result of a 4th place with Arwel Jenkins in the navigator seat.
Aled has been Chief Marshal on Rali Bro Preseli since 2013 before moving on to being Clerk of the Course this year and competitors can look forward to a great event.
Aled told the Herald: “This is the first time I’ve been Clerk of the Course, but we have a good team with Dylan Davies as Chief Marshal and Olwen Davies as Secretary.
“I live some 30 miles away from the actual route, but we’ve been around it twice and I’m confident it will be a good yet challenging night. Some of the whites are currently waterlogged but the farmers have been brilliant and offered to help clear the tracks before the event and we are very grateful.”
The rally, kindly sponsored by Arjay Factors and Home James Taxis, will have four official Spectator Points on the night and the locations will be available at signing on.
The Clerks of the Course and the Teifi Valley Motor Club would like to thank all those who have helped to organise the event – landowners, homes en route, petrol at Brian Llewellyn a’i Ferched, and the start and finish venues – Crymych Mart and the Teifi Waterside Hotel.
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