Win on final day will clinch St Asaph North Wales Cricket League Premier Division title

As expected the race for the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division title will go down to the last weekend of the season.

St Asaph will finish as champions if they achieve any sort of victory at home to Brymbo on Saturday.

The minimum win margin of 11-4 would ensure leaders Saints end up ahead of second-place Menai Bridge, regardless of what the Anglesey side do in their final game against visitors to Tyn-y-Caeau, Llay Welfare.

Last Saturday’s matches saw Asaph establish a five-point lead over Bridge ahead of the curtain-closer on September 11.

Will Ryan’s table-toppers whipped relegated Denbigh 15-0, while Menai could only manage a 13-2 success against Gresford.

St Asaph are chasing a first-ever title since the Premier was established in 2001.

The club were top-flight champions back in 1975, when Division One was the highest standard.

Menai Bridge have achieved plenty of glory in recent years and are hoping St Asaph slip up on Saturday so they can snatch a fourth Premier crown in seven bonafide seasons.

Asaph’s final opponents Brymbo are mid-table but capable of testing the best if their finest players perform. Their skipper James Claybrook is a man in form.

Bridge’s last-day foes Llay are third-bottom and need points to maximise their chances of avoiding the bottom two drop spots.

LATEST STANDINGS

St Asaph: Played 21 Points 227
Menai Bridge: Played 21 Points 222

TO PLAY

St Asaph
September 11: Brymbo (h)

Menai Bridge
September 11: Llay Welfare (h)

ICON SPORTS NORTH WALES CRICKET LEAGUE – SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

PREMIER DIVISION

DENBIGH (0) 133-10 ST ASAPH (15) 134-1

St Asaph’s top order weaved their magic again as the leaders wrapped up a 15-0 outcome at doomed Denbigh.

The hosts were bowled out for 133, skipper Thomas Schrimshaw with a defiant 55, while evergreen David North picked up 4-45 for Saints, Jason Foulkes snaring 2-18 and Danny Ryan 2-19.

In reply, Asaph skipper Will Ryan departed with the total on 28, but an unbroken stand of 106 between Nathanael Scott (52 no) and Mathew Ryan (49 no) guided the visitors to a maximum points triumph.

GRESFORD (2) 203-10 MENAI BRIDGE (13) 204-5

Former captains Dion Holden and Robbie Jones both produced half-centuries to ensure Menai Bridge reached the winning post with an over to spare.

Gresford elected to bat, opener Joe Benson (73), Matthew Thompson (42) and skipper Daniel Williams (38) helping set a decent score of 203 all out.

Mathew Jones claimed 3-17 and Holden 2-34 for the Anglesey visitors.

Holden then struck 59, Jones 51 no and Callum Andrews a very useful 33 as Menai got to 204-5 in 49 overs for a 13-2 return.

OTHER SCORES

Brymbo (1) 174-10 (James Claybrook 73, Idrees Ijaz 5-22) Bangor (14) 250-9 (Muhummad Ashfaq 79, Tomos Davies 61 no, Claybrook 4-28)

Llay Welfare (13) 129-4 (Joe Howell 46, Tom Crewe 43 no, Jack Rimmington 4-29) Llandudno (2) 128-10 (Crewe 3-32)

Mochdre (14) 244-9 (Matthew Humphreys 65, Alex Davies 56, James French 37) Conwy (1) 163-10 (Daniel Davies 31, Humphreys 4-11)

Northop (14) 304-5 (Jordan Evans 79, Richard Walker 75 no, Matthew Williams 75, Andrew Oates 41) Pwllheli (1) 206-10 (Jason Underwood 45, Christopher Taylor 36, Chris Moore 31, Mark Poynton 4-42, Oates 3-41)