High scoring tie lifts Penarth (From Penarth Times)

High scoring tie lifts Penarth

Saturday's encounter with Cardiff at the Athletic Field proved to be a profitable one for Penarth Cricket Club's 1st XI despite the result being an unlikely tie, 269 all!

It does however mean that the Seasiders move off the bottom of the Thomas Carroll South Wales Premier league, even carrying a 40 point fine.

The day started well for captain Dave Ricketts as he won the toss and, due to weakened Penarth bowling attack, chose to put the visitors in to bat. What followed was not a pretty sight as the visitors opening pair of Dave Kirtley and Richard Almond put on a stand of 201 for the first wicket.

Penarth were lacking 4 of their first choice seam attack with Frost, MacNaughton and Crowther all away and Ingram recovering from a hamstring injury.

This meant there was a welcome return to first team action for Robert Crimp who delivered 4 maidens in his first 7 overs while Richard Bromley was promoted to opening the bowling although his length was erratic which cost him runs early on.

By far the best display of bowling came from Richard Skone who finished with figures of 15 overs 0 wickets for 35 runs, but somehow was unable to take a wicket.

The Cardiff batsmen were able to make the most of what on the whole was a fairly disappointing Penarth bowling display, James Docherty, Bromley and Dave Ricketts were the main culprits conceding 5, 8 and 10 runs an over respectively.

Skone's support came mainly from Crimp (15-0-54) and left arm spinner Mark Thomas who took 2-31 in his 8 overs.

When Bromley took the first wicket in the 49th over, that of Almond for 95, Cardiff were 201-1 with just 6 overs remaining.

But with wickets in hand they were able to make the most of a short boundary on one side of the pitch and finished on 269-3, Kirtley (129) stumped by Sam Docherty off the bowling of Thomas and Robbie Weston (22) bowled by Thomas being the other Cardiff casualties.

The Penarth reply was full of incident and ended in agonising fashion with Robert Crimp being run out on the last ball with Penarth needing just 1 to win.

Peter Goodfellow insured Penarth were in the hunt straight away as he gave a master class in clean hitting scoring 30, which included 4x4's and 2x6's, before harshly being adjudged caught, behind despite carrying a bruise on his elbow where the ball hit him, in the 7th over.

Penarth were 52-1 at this point and soon lost the wicket of Richard Skone, again somewhat controversially caught behind for 0, 61-2.

Peter Edwards then came to the crease and with Ricketts built a healthy 77 run partnership with his skipper despite both men surviving much more convincing caught behind appeals than there predecessors.

And when Edwards fell in the 33 with the score on 130-3 Penarth were right in it. Ricketts had long since passed his 50 and was joined by the in form James Docherty and the pair carried on in confident mood adding 44 in 10 overs before Rickets fell desperately close to his century on 95.

Docherty was now in full flow and added another 43 runs with Richard Meggitt in 7 overs as the run chase heated up before the latter was caught for 16.

Docherty passed his 50 but holed out Smart just 4 runs later leaving the home side on 247-6 and needing 22 runs from 19 balls with Mark Thomas and Robert Crimp at the crease.

Nine runs came from the next over leaving 13 to win from 2. Thomas fell in the penultimate over for 12 while Crimp managed to pick up 6 runs to leave Penarth just 7 short of victory.

Richard Bromley was bowled with the first ball, then Keith Pires took a single from the next.

Crimp then plundered a 4 to leave the home side requiring 2 to win from 3 balls. A fine piece of fielding saw no run off the 4th ball and a well hit drive saw Crimp collect a single to level the scores.

With the field closed in around him Pires was unable to connect with the final delivery leaving Crimp (12) stranded as they tried in vain to get the match winning run.

The 6 points collected for the tie added to 6 bonus points lifts the Seasiders above struggling Pentyrch and they face 2nd from bottom Pontypridd in a must win encounter at the Athletic Field this Saturday.