CRICKHOWELL’S season went from bad to worse last Saturday when they lost at home to bottom of the table Brockhampton.

It all started off well enough, with Crickhowell winning the toss and asking the visitors to bat first on a very dry, and tired looking pitch.

Brockhampton began quite well with the bat, with Parker (24), Price (23) and Glinos (23) making positive contributions.

It was young Lloyd Francis who got the break through in the ninth over, aided by his mate Callum Tew, who took a very good running catch in the deep, to dismiss Price.

Phil Bowker replaced Lloyd Francis and then trapped Parker LBW. Nick Francis came on to bowl Glinos who looked quite dangerous, with four boundaries already to his name.

For Brockhampton, it was a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ with no other batsman getting past four. They limped to 104 all out in just over 30 overs, with Ben Bowker returning to finish with excellent figures of 3 for 31 off his 10 overs and father Phill finishing with 4 for 21 off his 10 overs.

The other father and son pairing saw Lloyd Francis finish with one for 26 and Nick Francis taking the last wicket to finish on 2 for 17.

It was a good fielding performance also, for Crickhowell, with Callum Tew taking two good catches, Lloyd Francis taking a good diving catch at silly mid-on, Wallace completing a good stumping, and Nick Kinman rolling back the years to run around from mid off to take the catch for the last wicket.

Crickhowell’s mood was very positive at tea, looking forward to the simple task of knocking off just 105 runs for a much needed win.

Batting though, has been Crickhowell’s constant ‘Achilles’ heel’ this season, and they have consistently failed to provide a firm foundation in making any total at all.

They again started poorly and were 14 for three after nine overs before Nick Francis and Price put on 30 for the fouth wicket.

Francis then offered a catch and was dismissed for 17 but surely there was enough experience in the lower order to see this through? Not so! Ben Bowker and Phil Christie looked solid enough, and looked set to edge Crickhowell to a win, but with Bowker given out LBW, controversially, and Christie getting one that kept low off that tired pitch, Crickhowell finished on a very poor 89 all out and managed, once again, to clutch a defeat from the jaws of victory.

These are dark days indeed for Crickhowell.