THE Sully Cricket Club moved two points clear at the top of the Full Toss Midweek League after defeating GE Aviation by five wickets.

In a league and cup double header at Bryn-y-Don, the visitors elected to bat and, after the first six overs, probably wished they hadn’t.

Opening bowlers Morgan (3-24) and Davies (2-13) had the visitors in all sorts of trouble at 37 for five and, although a revival was quick in coming, a run out and a wicket from Rees (1-34) left the score at 110 for seven with four overs left

‘Newbie’ Sam took centre stage with three for 18 as the visitors were all out for 131.

After the previous Saturday’s worst ever batting performance in club history, which ended in defeat to local rivals Dinas Powys, what chance the Spartans of chasing down the total!

After Sam went second ball, another newbie Abdul joined Trinash and they put on 84 runs for the second wicket before the former was out for an excellent 35.

I Khan (15) joined Trinash to put on 40 and take the Spartans to within a whisker of victory before the former was well caught. Anchoring the innings, Trinash was undefeated with a superb 39 and, in a five-wicket success, N Crick struck the winning boundary.

GE AVIATION: 131 all out (Sam 3-18, Morgan 3-24)

SULLY: 132-5 (Trinash 39no, Abdul 35)

This week it's first versus second as Spartans take on Glamorgan Centurions.

OPENER'S UNBEATEN KNOCK

Despite a torrential downpour which threatened an abandonment of the game, the club’s 1st XI gained a well-deserved 80-run victory against Pontypridd.

Winning the toss, Spartans’ decision to bat proved right as openers Morgan and Trinash moved swiftly to 50 and posted 65 before the latter was well caught for 27. Morgan was joined by Krishna and the score rattled along. The new batsmen took an instant liking to the home bowlers, hitting 12 fours in a well constructed innings of 73 before being caught after a partnership of 119.

With Sully at 184 for two, Morgan was joined by Dan Brennan who, like Krishna, took a liking to the bowling. He hit six fours in a cavalier 34 not out in a partnership of 50, whilst Morgan carried his bat on 55 as Sully finished on 234 for two in a game reduced to 40 overs a side.

In response, Pontypridd went for it from the start but a fine catch by Morgan, off the bowling of Sameer (two for 23), put the home side on the back foot and they never really recovered. A Davies (two for 24) and Satish (two for 12) made life even more difficult for the home side but they carried on giving it a go. However, with further wickets for Evan Rees (one for 20) and Karthik (one for 39), Pontypridd closed on 154 for nine. Unfortunately, Spartans missed out on maximum bowling bonus points after dropping two catches in the last two overs.

SULLY 1st XI: 234-2 (Krishna 73, D Morgan 55no, D Brennan 34no, Trinash 27)

PONTYPRIDD: 154-9 (Satish 2-12, Sameer 2-23, A Davies 2-24)