MOCHDRE CRICKET CLUB

1ST X1 REPORTS & SCORESHEET

AUG - SEPT

SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST

Mochdre enter the latter stages of the season in great spirits after comprehensively outplaying a strong Halkyn side to pick up their fifth successive win, lifting them to fourth place in Division 1 of the North Wales League. Now they face the toughest possible run-in with the remaining six fixtures, including four away, against their fellow title aspirants in the league's top seven. However, spirits are high, and with a number of players in excellent form, skipper Gareth Davies is confident that his side ca n maintain a challenge for honours for the first time in a number of years. Davies led by example when, having chosen to bat, he contributed Mochdre's top score, a patient 51 taken off 100 balls. He was given good support down the order, notably by fellow opener Steve Jones, 24, and all-rounder Phil Leeds with a breezy 30 off 48 balls, as all the middle order made double figure contributions before the innings closed at 178 for 7. For Halkyn, Andrew Bellis, 2 for 29 off 6 overs, and Maelor Thomas, 2 for 43 off 12, endeavoured to make the best of a track retaining moisture after a week of rain. Halkyn made a solid start to their reply, anchored by Chris Bellis, 45, reaching 31 without loss in the twelfth over. However, they failed to make a mid innings acceleration, when first the medium pace of Phil Leeds, 2 for 19 off 10, and then the twin spin attack of Paul Colman, 3 for 36 off 13, and Richie Totton, 2 for 33 off 13, took control for Mochdre. Top drawer wicket keeping from Dafydd Rhys brought him three stumpings, and sharp Mochdre fielding saw the last three Halkyn batsmen run out as their innings was terminated on 121, bringing a 57 run victory for the home side.

SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST

Mochdre dodged the rain but not defeat as they suffered their first reverse in six outings at the hands of champions Brymbo in the only completed fixture in Division 1 of the North Wales League. Mochdre made a solid enough start, reaching 60 without loss by the twentieth of their fifty overs. Openers Gareth Davies and Steve Jones contributed 32 apiece, but the fall of Davies' wicket saw the run rate dwindle to a trickle in the face of canny off-spin from Nigel Roberts, 3 for 32 off 13, and tight seam bowling by brother Ross, 1 for 29 off 13. The ever-reliable Phil Leeds halted a mid-innings mini collapse, compiling an untroubled 46 off 64 balls, before being joined by Peter S Williams, whose clean and ferocious hitting brought him 39 off 28 balls including three sixes. Together they added 70 in the final eight overs bringing Mochdre to a respectable, albeit slightly disappointing, total of 176 for 7. It is received wisdom when playing Brymbo that, in order to win, the opposition must secure the early dismissal of their three star batsmen, Stewart Williams, Mark Jones and Nigel Roberts. One out of three is simply not enough, as Mochdre found to their cost. Jones, 74 off 6 6 balls including 3 sixes and 10 fours, dominated an opening stand of 97 with Williams, 21, before handing over to Nigel Roberts to finish the job with an unbeaten 56 off 65 balls. For Mochdre, who were missing fiery spearhead Rob Stewart, skipper Gareth Davies, 1 for 32 off 13, and Phil Leeds, 1 for 36 off 10, bowled with reasonable parsimony if not penetration. The placid Brymbo pitch, however, was of little assistance to young spinners Richie Totton, 0 for 51 off 7, and Paul Colman, 1 for 44 off 10, who took something of a pasting from the experienced Brymbo batsmen as they cruised home for the loss of three wickets in just 41 overs.

SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST

Mochdre 1st XI put up a brave fight before succumbing to a four wicket defeat at Pontblyddyn in Division 1 of the North Wales League. With a bowling attack weakened by the absence of captain Gareth Davies, missing his first match for 16 years, and honeymooning paceman Rob Stewart, stand-in skipper Dafydd Rhys opted to bat first on the always bowler-friendly Pontblyddyn track. Mochdre were quickly in trouble, 2 for 2 before the end of the third over, setting the scene for an heroic innings by nugget of an opener Steve Jones, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 57 off 136 balls in almost three hours of determined concentration. Jones received valuable support from Phil Leeds, whose run out on 11 proved to be the pivotal point of the match, and from Paul Colman, 14, with whom he added 35 for the sixth wicket. The Mochdre tail proved sadly brittle with the exception of last man Chris Colman, 5, who resisted bravely for nine overs to allow a valuable additional 20 runs for the final wicket. On a slow wicket with uneven bounce, Pontblyddyn's bowling was penetrative and economical throughout, exemplified by Julian Morris, 3 for 24 off 13, and Danny Struth ers, 3 for 37 off 13, as Mochdre were bowled out for a disappointing 122 in the final over. The Pontblyddyn batting line-up, brimming with Flintshire county players, was made to fight every inch of the way by Mochdre's makeshift bowling attack. Seamer Phil Leeds, 2 for 16 off 13, and off-spinner Paul Colman,1 for 31 off 13, opened proceedings in niggardly fashion, restricting Pontblyddyn to 21 runs off the first 18 overs. Richie Totton, 2 for 28 off 9, and Peter S Williams, 1 for 23 off 7, also weighed in to good effect, but a solid 38 from Mark Hughes, and a late flurry from Julian Parry, 20, saw the home side scramble to a four wicket victory with three overs remaining.

SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST

Mochdre's hot and cold season was beginning to veer to the decidedly chilly as they suffered their third successive defeat - an eight wicket spanking at home by championship aspirants Mold in Division 1 of the North Wales League. Certainly, Mochdre started well enough as openers Steve Jones, 36, and Gareth Davies, 21, put on 57 in even time for the first wicket. No. 3 Paul Owen, 33, maintained the momentum, and with 111 for 2 on the scoreboard and 15 overs remaining Mochdre were on course for the two hundred total that would give them the edge on Mold's powerful batting line up. Sadly, the middle order was unable to build on the good start. Mold's Alan Coppack, 3 for 18, Steve Burkhill, 2 for 22, and Gareth Evans, 3 for 31, presided over a collapse which saw eight wickets fall for 43 runs as Mochdre subsided to 154 all out. Not for the first time this season dropped catches proved critical as ex Colwyn Bay man Brian Williams, 37, was dropped without scoring and Glen Scott, 50 not out, was given a life on 19. Mochdre's bowlers fought tigerishly to stifle the run rate making the visitors wait to the penultimate over for the winning runs. However Paul Colman, 2 for 30 off 13, was the only wicket taker as Russell Wiseman, 34, and Jamie Griffiths, 23 not out, steered Mold to an ultimately comfortable eight wicket victory.

MONDAY 28TH AUGUST

Mochdre 1st XI's Division 1 fixture at Bangor fell victim to the Gwynedd rain,

SATURDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER

Only a superb knock by the consistent Phil Leeds saved Mochdre 1st XI from complete humiliation as they slumped to an eight wicket home defeat at the hands of Llay in Division 1 of the North Wales League. Leeds scored 67 off 94 balls, including a six and five fours, as he held the rampant Llay attack at bay for almost two hours. As wickets tumbled with metronomic regularity only opener Steve Jones, 17, joined Leeds for a meaningful stand, the pair adding 57 for the fourth wicket. Clifton Robinson chipped in with 10 not out from the tail end, but no other batsman reached double figures as Mochdre struggled to 134 all out, John Parry 4 for 44. Skipper Gareth Davies tried seven bowlers but to no avail as Llay cruised past the Mochdre total in the fortieth over for the loss of just two wickets. Mike Phennah and John Parry, each with an unbeaten half century, put the Mochdre attack to the sword. Despite the pressure of defending such a meagre total off-spinner Paul Colman, bowled with great credit returning 2 for 21 off 13 and seeing a catch from Phennah put down with only 10 to his name.

SATURDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

Mochdre 1st XI, safe in mid-table of Division 1, travelled in carefree mood to championship contenders Hawarden Park - and paid the price with a crushing 145 run defeat. The match started well enough as Phil Leeds, Mochdre's Mr Consistency, opened with a devastating spell of 4 for 14 off 10 overs, and together with off-spinner Paul Colman, 1 for 19 off 9, had the hosts reeling at 22 for 5. Park's opener Craig Wilson, 42, in partnership with No 7 Mike Scott , 75, initially steadied matters before launching a brutal assault on the Mochdre bowlers. Following their stand of 79 for the sixth wicket, Scott was joined by Australian Shane Carlton, 25 not out, with whom he added a further 65 before falling to the very occasional donkey drops of Dafydd Rhys, 1 for 7 off 2, as Hawarden Park closed on 184 for 7. In the last fixture of the season, Mochdre skipper for the day Steve Jones shuffled the batting order with startling effect. Only Jones himself, 14, reached double figures as Mochdre were shot out for a miserable 39 in the twenty sixth over, Kiwi paceman Campbell Marr leading the way with 4 for 21 off 9.