LLANARTH went into weekend knowing that a maximum points victory versus Newport would secure the WCCC2 runners-up silverware.

The first key moment of the day was a toss that was made vital by copious amounts of rain in the preceding days, alas Dennis Heath’s losing streak extended to five and the Trees were inserted on a wet track that was sure to offer a serious examination of their batsmen.

Mark Baxter looked to be passing that examination in striking three early crisp boundaries but then received a beauty from Tom Josham (3-24) that feathered an outside edge through to the keeper. 

The Newport bowlers found the conditions to their liking and their accuracy, allied to assistance from the wicket, made survival difficult let alone run scoring. From overs eight to nineteen Llanarth scored only 6 runs for the loss of 3 further wickets and when the Trees took drinks at 34-4 it didn’t look a day that silverware was going to be confirmed.

It got worse before it got better when Allan Dewfield fell at 36-5, but this brought Dennis Heath (48) in to join David Nowell (32*) and the pair set about trying to post at least some sort of score to bowl at. Given the conditions Heath’s innings was outstanding, scoring at a run a ball he mixed watchful defence with aggressive stroke-play and was unfortunate to be dismissed just shy of a richly deserved half-century. Nowell’s innings too was excellent as he assisted Heath’s counter-attack with rock-solid defence and good strike rotation as the partnership added 76 vital runs to allow Llanarth to take tea with 125-7 on the board.

After tea the Trees came out determined for early wickets and although the wicket was drying there was still enough in it to keep the bowlers very interested. Continued on Page 47

and so it proved as David Lomax (2-25) struck twice and Ed James once as Newport slipped to 12-3, game on! Then Gulzar Raza (52) played one of the more remarkable innings you are likely to see, given the match situation and prevailing conditions. He started out with a couple of wild swipes but then served notice of what was to come by whipping a perfectly respectable James delivery onto the Village Hall roof taking out a couple of roof tiles for good measure. More boundaries quickly followed and at one stage Raza had scored 50 out of a total of 58-3 with his half-century coming from circa 25 balls.

Tom Heath (1-14) raised flagging spirits by grabbing his first senior wicket when removing Rob Keyse and in tandem with Powell they frustrated Raza for a couple of overs with some excellent tight bowling. Powell used all of his experience to keep Raza quiet and with some extensive chatting to the batsman tried to tempt him to do something daft, which he did and he was well caught by Allan Dewfield on the boundary and Llanarth were cock-a-hoop with the Newport innings at 65-5.

However Tom Protheroe and Tom Josham advanced the score to 100 without further alarm although by now the weather was closing in and thunder could be detected in the distance. Baxter (1-3) was tossed the ball for a rare bowl but the humid conditions were perfect for him to swing the ball, albeit at year on year reducing pace, and he was rewarded when swinging a good one into Josham’s pads to win an lbw just as the batsmen were trying to hit out to win before the rain fell from the darkening skies.

At 105-6 it looked as if an exciting finish was on the cards with Llanarth now having one end open but the weather had other ideas. As Baxter stood at his mark ready to commence another over an incandescent flash of lightning illuminated the gloom followed by a thunderous clap, barely ten seconds later the heavens opened and rain stair-rodded earthwards as all ran for cover. It only took 10 minutes for the captains to agree to the abandonment of the finely poised contest as the square and much of the outfield was, by then, underwater as vast amounts of water continued to hammer down.

With the abandonment of Llanarth’s game it meant that Radyr had to play and win to take the scrap for the runners-up gong into the final week. However news soon filtered through that their game was also abandoned due to the weather and the Trees can now celebrate League silverware for the third successive season.