AFTER beating them earlier in the season, Llanarth Firsts visited Llantwit Major Cavaliers hoping to achieve the double over the current league leaders and probable champions.

Put into bat on a dull and cloudy day on a soft pitch, Llanarth started soundly enough as openers Glenn and Baxter shared an opening stand of 76, before Glenn departed for 45 in the 18th over.

After a solid enough start, disaster struck as the next two batsmen fell with the score on 89 in the 21st over.

Heath then joined Baxter and between them swung the match in Llanarth's favour as they shared a fourth wicket partnership of 192 as Heath caused mayhem.

Starting slowly, everyone except Llantwit sat back and watched as he hammered 14 fours and six sixes on his way to a magnificent 113 not out in only 79 balls, the last 50 in only 18 balls.

Baxter contributed in his usual solid way, forming the backbone of the innings on his way to 90, leaving the fireworks to Heath.

Baxter was eventually out on the penultimate ball of the innings with the score at 283-4. Cheal was the only wicket taker for Llantwit with 4-62.

Llanarth's hopes that this was a winning score was tempered by the fact that Llantwit's prolific batsmen, including Griffiths, arguably one of the best in the league, recently chased in excess of 360 to win a match.

And so it proved, as Griffiths, ably supported by fellow batsmen stroked his way to a splendid 108 before he was out with the score at 248-6 in the 42nd over.

Despite losing a couple more wickets, Llantwit were left requiring 10 runs from the final over.

With the Llanarth fielders spread far and wide, Llantwit reached their target with six runs from the first four balls, with Wood hitting an enormous six to give Llantwit victory with one ball to spare.

Whilst it was an exciting and high-scoring match, Llanarth must reflect on the fielding not being up to its usual standard.

The bowling, with the exception of Powell (3-45) was not up to par and a couple of dropped catches and a missed stumping of Griffith were all contributory factors to their defeat.

In the end it was a disappointing day for Llanarth who to all extent and purposes snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

WITH no less than 14 established players unavailable due to holiday, injury or work commitments the Llanarth second team comprised just five players at 6pm on Friday.

A series of calls to half forgotten, semi retired and very junior players eventually resulted in a team taking the field on Saturday afternoon but expectations of a positive result were low. Fortunately Llanarth won the toss and with only one bowler over the age of 16 the skipper was able to protect his young charges from the possibility of conceding a massive first innings score by deciding to bat.

The Llantwit bowlers however bowled with great discipline and were a constant threat as a result of which the home team openers Francis and Spencer were able to make only slow progress.

With the score a miserly 35 off 17 overs Spencer was bowled trying to increase the tempo and a second wicket soon followed.

Tom Morgan then joined Francis and the Llanfoist pair gradually got the scoreboard moving particularly when the spinners came on to bowl.

Francis was eventually caught for a very good 47 and Morgan went on to register a half century before he too holed out.

The momentum was maintained by the new batsmen Will King and Adrian Green who in contrasting styles accelerated the scoring over the final overs to reach a very satisfying if improbable total of 201-5.

King's powerful hitting being exactly matched by Green's deft deflections as each finished on 26 not out.

The second innings began with an excellent spell from 16 year old Gruffudd Parry who shouldered the burden of opening the bowling, conceding only nine runs from his four overs whilst King gave up 16 off his first five, although he did take the first wicket.

It was then the turn of 14 year old George Davies and 15 year old John Morgan to take up the mantle. Both bowled superbly and were not intimidated by some aggressive batting.

Davies bowled the other opener and Morgan got his revenge on the hard hitting Vinson who had just hit him for six by inducing an edge to the keeper.

Their five over spells complete these two gave way to the Phillips brothers, Sam and Lloyd, under13 team regulars but making a big step up for their first taste of senior league cricket. Sam began with a maiden and bowled a couple of tight overs, but it was Lloyd who stole the limelight.

Completely unfazed by being hit for six first ball he responded by pinning the batsman plumb lbw.

He continued to bowl a beautiful line and with the batsmen struggling to score eventually picked up a second wicket clean bowled to finish with 2-19 off his five overs.

Despite losing wickets Llantwit were maintaining the required scoring rate mainly thanks to the veteran Lansdown who batted very solidly defending well and hitting the odd loose ball to the boundary.

Second spells for King and Morgan produced another wicket apiece whilst Parry and Davies bowled economically but without the reward their efforts justified.

Eventually Llantwit reached their target with two overs and three wickets in hand, but the Llanarth youngsters had battled hard and done themselves and the club proud.