FIELDING something of a scratch team as a result of an availability crisis Llanarth CC'S second team failed to build on last week's success although this was a match that should have been won.

The inexperienced looking bowling attack did themselves proud and although it was the one recognised senior bowler Craig Whistance who took five wickets, he had great support initially from Will King who defied all known form by maintaining concentration to bowl an unbroken spell of 10 overs for just 28 runs and was unlucky to go wicketless.

He was replaced by Nick Fackrell who displayed great effort and improved control and was rewarded with two wickets.

It was however the performance of two youngsters that bodes well for the future; 16 year old Tom Vaughan taking 1-37 from 10 overs of well controlled and flighted off-spin and 12 year old James Mear playing in his first adult match bowling three tidy overs and clean bowling the Newport captain.

At the end of the innings Llanarth were pleased enough with having restricted the visitors to a score of 159-9 although this could have been even less if a couple of catches had not gone to ground.

In contrast to the bowling the batting order looked quite capable, with the top six all proven run scorers each with a half century to their name last season. The skipper Simon Wharton carried on from where he left off last week and together with Peter Francis (24) put on an opening stand of 102 before being stumped for an excellent 68.

This mishap however triggered a collapse that Glamorgan would have been proud of as first Francis and then the next two batsmen who shall remain nameless to spare their blushes fell in a heap in abject fashion as the score subsided to 105-4.

Whistance and King endeavoured to retrieve the situation but with the visitors now scenting an unlikely victory and the Newport bowlers maintaining a tight line, runs suddenly became hard to get and they were unable to repeat their bowling heroics with the bat.

A couple of injudicious shots born of desperation brought their downfall in quick succession and with the required run rate escalating rapidly it soon became apparent that the target was not going to be reached.

Derek Whistance struck a few defiant blows to become third top scorer with 14 not out, but in the end he had to content himself with playing out time with Nick Fackrell to pick up the bonus points for not being all out.

This was very much the case of "the one that got away" and the skipper is still wondering just how it happened!