GRATEFUL to be in action after a damp May, Dinas Powys Cricket Club's1st XI unsurprisingly invited hosts Whitchurch to bat on a green top on Saturday.

Stephen Bussell and Nathan Piddock opened the bowling, and the latter, providing Dinas with early impetus, removed Tibbs with a jaffer. Replacing the opening pair, John Clogg and Asad Risvi maintained the pressure, picking up a wicket each to good catches. Clogg bowled a superb spell and, before pulling up lame in his ninth over, Whitchurch were 73 for five with another wicket for Clogg and the first of three for Upinder Singh.

Whitchurch mustered a fightback through a hard-earned 50 for the No 4 and some big hitting from the tail, but ended up all out for 182, with a further wicket for Piddock, one for Bussell, and two more scalps for Singh in an impressive performance.

Dinas' response was led by Gordon Hannah and skipper Ian Southwell, but the former and Matthew Todd-Bennett soon perished. Risvi joined Southwell and, in similar vein to the first fixture of the season, began to take the game away from the opposition. Risvi again played the leading role, making another superb 50 in good time, with shots all round the wicket, to take Dinas to within 60, with 20 overs remaining. When Risvi fell to Dinas old boy Zaman, Jeff Mitchell ably supported Southwell who began to accelerate his innings. Together, they took Dinas to within touching distance before Mitchell foolishly ran himself out and Southwell foolishly flashed at a wide one to depart for a well constructed 50. However, Brychan Tudor and Jack Preston knocked off the winning runs for Dinas, with a superb boundary each, to give the visitors a five-wicket victory with four overs to spare.

BELOW PAR KNOCK

The 2nd XI hosted Tondu at a very damp Bryn y Don where there was plenty of long grass on the outfield.

With Dinas asked to bat, Mike O’Donovan’s run of bad luck at the top of the order continued as he was run out in a mix up with skipper Ford, and wickets tumbled as the hosts found it very hard going against some tight bowling. So tough was it that, at one point it, looked like 100 was out of reach until first Ford, with a grinding 33, and Red Todd-Bennett, with a stubborn and responsible unbeaten 23, helped Dinas to a well below par 111 for nine.

However, anyone thinking it would be a stroll for Tondu were mistaken as Dinas opening bowlers Saaj Ali and Richie Morgan strangled the Tondu openers of any scoring shots before a smart catch by the skipper close in achieved the breakthrough. Suddenly, Dinas and, in particular, Morgan were all over Tondu as wickets fell in quick succession with the scoreboard reading an incredible four wickets down for eight runs inside the first 10 overs! It could, and probably should, have been 8-5 when, having taken a blinding one-handed catch, Red Todd-Bennett then spilled a sitter to give the dangerous Gregory a life.

And, after the early collapse, Tondu dug inand, although Dinas managed to snaffle two more wickets, they were probably a bowler light as Tondu saw themselves over the line for a five-wicket win. But it wasn’t easy, and credit must go to the Dinas bowlers for making it hard for them. To make matters worse a collision between Ali and Morgan, with both going for a catch (that the former took), flattened the TV man who had to be taken to hospital for a check up - luckily nothing was broken, but he can't remember anything about it.

In a low-scoring, but intriguing match that was full of twists and turns, Morgan’s spell of four wickets for five runs from nine overs - six maidens - was the outstanding highlight for Dinas.

CANCELLED

The 3rd XI match at Cross Keys was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

WELSH CUP DEFEAT

On Sunday Dinas took on a Barry in the first round of the Welsh Cup and, on a tricky pitch at the Island, restricted the home side to 103 all out, with Lewis Clarke taking five for 29. However, it proved even harder for Dinas with the bat and they were skittled for just 85.

FIXTURES

Upcoming fixtures: Saturday, June 7 - 1st XI v Monkswood (1pm, Bryn y Don), 2nd XI v Creigiau (1pm, away), 3rd XI v Pontypridd (1.30pm, away); Monday, June 9 - U11 v Miskin (6pm, away); Tuesday, June 10 - U13 v Penarth (6pm, away); Wednesday, June 11- Midweek v Cardiff (6pm, away); Thursday, June 12 - U15 v Vale (6pm, away).

Dinas Powys extends thanks to T Hywel Jones (Chemist) for their continued support.