Cricket: St Asaph claim runners-up in Premier, Denbigh’s Du Toit passes 800 runs with ton

NORTH WALES CRICKET LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION – FINAL REPORTS AND TABLE 2024 SEASON

St Asaph (15) 230-7 Northop (0) 89-10

Saints rounded off their 2024 season in grand style with a 141-run thrashing of Northop which clinched them runners-up spot in the Premier.

Champions in 2021 and 2023, Asaph have now finished either first or second in the North Wales League’s top flight for four consecutive years.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, the hosts amassed 230-7 off their 50 overs, Nathanael Scott highest contributor with 81, Duncan Midgley adding 49, Dan Evans 45 and captain William Ryan 30 not out.

Scott and Midgley put on 79 for the second wicket, then Scott and Evans added 95 for the third.
Ashraf Nawab picked up 3-49 for the visitors.

In reply, Northop were skittled out for just 89, Jordan Evans 33, William Norman collecting 4-29, Ryan Dunning 3-17 and Mathew Ryan 2-12.

Scott was Asaph’s leading league run scorer over the season with 653, while Dan Evans was top wicket-taker on 35.

Bangor 258-8 (15) Gwersyllt Park (0) 127-10

A crushing win for Bangor clinched them a fourth-place finish in the Premier.

Opting for first knock after correctly calling the coin toss, the Citizens piled up 258-8 off 50 overs, skipper Rob Marshall leading the way with 76 while Franco Kasner added 65.

Jake James returned best figures for Gwersyllt of 2-35.

Park were then dismissed for just 127, openers Ethan McCarthy (49) and Iroshan De Silva (33) putting on 59 before a big collapse.

Smit Parekh snared a superb 6-29 off 10, while Kasner grabbed 2-13. Parekh has scooped 41 league victims for Bangor over the campaign, Kasner ending on 37 wickets and 620 runs.

Brymbo (2) 133-10 Mochdre (13) 201-10

Mochdre finished the season like the true champions they are, winning at second-place Brymbo for whom defeat meant they had to settle for third position.

Matty Humphreys shone brightest with 71, while Sean Kitchen added 43 as the visitors were bowled out for 201, Chris Taylor 3-32, Sam Aplin 3-37 and Jack Williams 3-50 for the hosts.

Brymbo could only muster 133 in response, Aplin 38, Australian Marcus Mangiameli snapping up 3-31 to finish with 39 league wickets in 2024, Russ Boswell bagging 2-6 and Adam Campion 2-44.

Alex Davies was Mochdre’s top league run-getter with 525, Mangiameli with the most club wickets.

Denbigh (15) 204-1 Menai Bridge (0) 203-10

North Wales League leading run-scorer James Du Toit finished on 809 after his 112 guided Denbigh to a thumping victory at Ystrad Road.

It was the South African’s second ton of the season and his highest score for the Vale of Clwyd club, just failing to top the 115 he notched for Connah’s Quay in 2023.

Visitors Menai Bridge won the toss, decided to bat, and chalked up a very decent effort of 203 all out from 50 overs.
Skipper Jack Gower made 61 and Arwel Thomas 43, the Anglesey side sitting pretty on 130-1 at one stage.

Left-arm spinner Harrison Jones excelled with the ball for Denbigh, nabbing 4-21 off 10, Joe Lewis pocketing 2-27.

Denbigh reached 204-1 in 41 overs, Du Toit’s 112 coming off 88 deliveries and including 17 fours and a six.

Du Toit put on 156 for the first wicket with Ranija Abeysinghe, who ended 50 not out, Harrison Jones contributing 28 no.

Llandudno (15) 237-10 Gresford (0) 64-10

Both these sides were doomed to end the season in the bottom two relegation positions before the start of play, but Llandudno had the consolation of ending a disappointing season with a crushing 153-run victory.

Put into bat, Tudno blasted 237 all out off 45.1, Divya Pratap Singh yet again the leading run-getter with 81. It was his sixth league half-ton of the season and lifted his Premier Division runs tally to 715.

Sam Rimmington added 49 for the hosts, Patrick Richards with 3-42 for Gresford.

The Wrexham-area side were then blown away for just 64, Jamie Grimshaw a season’s best 6-21 and Jack Rimmington 3-42.