CRICKET: North Wales Premier – Dion Holden hits career best for victorious Menai Bridge, wins for Brymbo, Bangor, Gwersyllt Park and Denbigh

NORTH WALES CRICKET LEAGUE REPORTS – AUGUST 16

PREMIER DIVISION

With four rounds of matches left to play Brymbo hold a 12-point lead at the Premier summit.

Saturday saw both the Steelmen and second-place Bangor emerge victorious, while there were also wins for Denbigh, Gwersyllt Park and Menai Bridge.

Bangor (18) 104-7 Mochdre (3) 102-10

Title hopefuls Bangor won a low-scoring encounter against the 2024 champions by three wickets at Ty Newydd.

Put into bat, Mochdre were bowled out for just 102 in 32.2 overs, Marcus Mangiameli top-scoring with 28, while for the hosts, Joe Maltby claimed a superb career best 5-19 off eight, while Jamie Moorhouse picked up three key wickets for 22, dismissing dangers Will Evans and Matty Humphreys for ducks.
Smit Parekh also scooped 2-15.

Bangor fell from 55-1 to 100-7 in reply, but got over the line thanks largely to Nadeem Rehman’s 36 and 32 from skipper Rob Marshall, Owen Davies 4-6 off four for the visitors and Adam Campion 2-45.

Bethesda (6) 204-10 Denbigh (18) 268-5

Skipper Harrison Jones recorded his first league century of the season, a quality 112 not out helping his side to victory at Parc Villa.

Jones and Gerallt Lyall (98) put on a tremendous 197 for the first wicket after the visitors won the toss and elected to bat.

Andrew Day snared 3-33 for the home side, who put up good resistance in reply but finished up 204 all out, Nicholas Parry 56 and captain Carwyn L Williams 35, Joe Lewis 3-49 for the away side, Jones and Sam Lewis both pocketing 2-28.

Conwy (4) 179-10 Gwersyllt Park (18) 184-3

Neil Pearson took 4-36, Iroshan De Silva 3-29 and Kastun Stoute 2-22 as Gwersyllt Park dismissed Conwy for 179, Oliver Da Costa scoring 101 – his first century for the club – and fellow opener Evan Williams 30.

Da Costa hit 10 fours and four sixes in his fabulous knock.

In response, Gwersyllt got home on 184-3 off 32.4, Ryan Collier 81 not out including 11 fours, De Silva 50 not out and Stoute 38.

Menai Bridge (18) 314-5 St Asaph (5) 194-10

Former Wales international Dion Holden smashed a career best 169 as Menai Bridge rattled up a huge 314-5 off 50 overs in their home triumph over St Asaph.

Opener Holden’s 141-ball effort included 22 fours and six sixes. skipper Ashley Wood added 34 and Ayush Verma 32 for the Anglesey hosts.

Saints were bowled out for 194, Mathew Ryan 66 and Danny Ryan 35, Gerallt Roberts bagging 4-42, Wood 2-16 and Holden 2-59 for the islanders.

Northop (6) 204-7 Brymbo (18) 208-5

Leaders Brymbo enjoyed a relatively comfortable five-wicket success at Flint Road.

Northop were put into bat and found themselves in trouble at 102-5, but recovered well to post 204-7 off 50 overs, Thomas Hughes 73 not out and Andrew Oates 44.

Dan Parry snapped up 4-37 for the visitors, who then made it to 208-5 off 45.4.

Sam Aplin made 47, James Claybrook 42 and Jason Underwood 37, Bart Ryan-Beswick 2-31 and Venumadhav Peram 2-40 for the hosts.