CRICKET: North Wales League Premier – Bangor and Mochdre pick up crucial wins as three other games are abandoned

With two rounds of matches remaining in the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division, pole position lies with table-topping Bangor, who hold a 10-point lead after Saturday’s matches.

Just two games were played – Bangor winning away at Northop and Mochdre victorious in a short-lived encounter at Bethesda.

The other three fixtures were abandoned, so the likes of Brymbo and St Asaph potentially lost crucial points in the title race.

Current standings

Bangor: Played 16 Points 260
Brymbo: Played 16 Points 250
Mochdre: Played 16 Points 242
St Asaph: Played 16 Points 236
Menai Bridge: Played 16 Points 230

Remaining games

Bangor: Sep 6 – Gwersyllt Park (home); Sep 13 – St Asaph (away)
Brymbo: Sep 6 – Menai Bridge (a); Sep 13 – Conwy (h)
Mochdre: Sep 6 – Conwy (h); Sep 13 – Northop (a)
St Asaph: Sep 6 – Denbigh (h); Sep 13 – Bangor (h)
Menai Bridge: Sep 6 – Brymbo (h); Sep 13 – Denbigh (a)

REPORTS – SATURDAY, AUGUST 30

PREMIER DIVISION

Northop (5) 124-10 Bangor (18) 190-10

Spin bowlers Franco Kasner and Nadeem Rehman shared seven wickets as Bangor crushed Northop by 66 runs to land a big blow in the title race.

Put into bat, the Citizens started badly, losing openers Nathanael Scott and Rehman for 0 and 1 respectively, but skipper Kasner (48), Smit Parekh (47), Jamie Grimshaw (37) and Cian Williams (31) all produced vital scores as the hosts made 190 al out.

For the hosts, Bart Ryan-Beswick took 4-32 and Andy Poynton 3-22 off 10.

In reply, the Flintshire side collapsed to 124 all out, losing their last four wickets for 0 runs.

Venumadhav Peram was the main contributor with a defiant 43.

Kasner claimed 4-28 off 9.3, while Rehman picked up 3-20 to seal an away win.

Bethesda (9) 86-10 Mochdre (18) 92-1

On a day where the weather was always likely to result in incomplete matches Mochdre had the right idea – get the job done as quickly as possible!

The champions scooped maximum points and kept their hopes of retaining the title alive with a win at Bethesda which took just a little more than 40 overs in total to achieve.

Pesda were put into bat and bowled out for 86 in 31.5, Adam Campion taking 4-31, Matty Humphreys 2-3 and Andrew Swarbrick 2-18.

Mochdre then raced to 92-1 in just nine overs, Alex Davies 49 not out off just 29 balls, including six fours and a six.

Brymbo (10) 0-0 St Asaph (8) 164-8 – abandoned

Dan Evans was 52 not out and Matty Ryan made 40 as St Asaph reached 164-8 off 46 overs before rain caused an abandonment, Jack Williams 4-43 and Chris Taylor 3-15 off 10 for the Steelmen.

Conwy (9) 0-0 Menai Bridge (11) 246-6

Ayush Verma was 111 not out with Bridge 246-6 off 43 overs before the weather produced a permanent intervention.

Gwersyllt Park (10) 0-0 Denbigh (7) 146-8

Iroshan De Silva had claimed 6-25 for the home side before the heavens opened and play was abandoned with Denbigh 146-8 off 38.2 overs.