ON Saturday Dinas Powys First XI faced a lengthy journey to Ebbw Vale, looking to build on last week's excellent victory against table toppers Monmouth.

To the shock of most players and Derek Brockway, Ebbw Vale had received less rain than expected overnight and the match was declared on.

Dinas arrived to find a good pitch but a wet outfield and after a delayed start the umpires decided to reduce the contest to 40 overs apiece.

Captain Piddock, freshly returned from Tunisia, won the toss and decided to bowl in the overcast conditions.

The Dinas bowlers started well, restricting scoring opportunities. Lewie Clark struck early, with thanks to a fine diving catch by Brychan Tudor at point.

On an excellent batting track, wickets were hard to come by but all of the Dinas bowlers stuck at the job and Vale's batsman’s struggled to increase the run rate.

Weather conditions worsened throughout the innings and periods of persistent drizzle led to a very wet outfield resulting in the Dinas bowling attack having to bowl with an increasingly slippy ball.

The home side were well set at 157 for 2 of 35 overs and the last 5 overs saw an extra 56 added. Late wickets were taken, with one apiece for Jack Thomas, Asad Risvi and Saajan Ali. Two wickets in the last over from Clarke saw him end with figures of 3 for 59. Ebbw Vale ended on 213 for 6 and the game looked evenly poised as the teams walked off at the interval.

Heavier rain during the tea interval saw a further five overs being knocked off the game. The umpires recalculated the total and Dinas were left needing 197 of 35 overs.

Openers Gordon Hannah and Tudor started well, with Hannah positive from the first over. The 50 partnership was brought up in seventh over. Hannah brought up his 50 with the score at 63 at the end of the 9th over but was bowled shortly after but the start looked to have made Dinas favourites. However, one eye turned to the weather as the gloom descended once again.

Hannah’s dismissal brought Matthew Todd-Bennett to the crease who continued the positive intent.

A partnership of 39 saw the score pass 100 in the 18th over before Tudor was dismissed LBW.

As the drizzle once again began to fall, the outfield became slower and boundaries became harder to come by. Todd-Bennett was joined by the experienced Asad Rizvi who together rotated the strike whilst still punishing the bad ball.

Rizvi fell for 37 with 17 runs still needed with six overs left and with the weather worsening Captain Piddock strode to the crease looking to end the game quickly. The game then took a strange turn of events. The Ebbw Vale skipper approached the umpires, clearly concerned about weather conditions.

The umpires felt that the weather did not warrant the teams leaving the field and the game continued.

Vale's skipper started his over with Todd-Bennett evidently still able see the ball as he dismissed it for 6, at which point the Ebbw Vale captain told his team to leave the pitch with Dinas requiring nine runs from five overs with seven wickets in hand.

Nobody could ever remember a game finishing in such circumstances, with a team seemingly conceding after the umpires had said the game was to continue. Skipper Piddock went to meet with the umpires and Ebbw Vale captain in the umpire’s dressing room but the Ebbw Vale skipper had already left the ground. It was confirmed to Piddock by the umpires that Dinas had won the match.

It was a sorry end to a match played in excellent spirits by both sets of teams but Dinas can take a great deal of pride with the way they bowled, fielded and controlled a difficult run chase.

The 2nds had a double header weekend. On Saturday the club's new covers again proved their worth as despite persistent overnight rain, the pitch was deemed playable as the 2's took on Croesyceiliog at a very damp Bryn y Don.

Put in to bat, the visitors worked hard in the wet, gloomy conditions to post what looked like a competitive 202-5 in a reduced 35 over game.

Dinas will be unhappy that they let Croesy get about 30 runs too many, with wides a big culprit - a bit of a recurring theme this season.

Wickets were spread round the bowlers with Morgan's 1-11 the pick. In reply, Dinas lost early wickets, and in conditions which began to get worse (darker and wetter) it looked like either the match would be abandoned or Croesy would win.

However to their credit, both skippers decided to keep playing. In the end, despite Croesy's Tom Harris taking 5-29, a lusty 75 from Miles Wilton including one huge over that went for 25 was the difference, as support from Ade Colley (35) and Rob Mosley (31) saw the Villagers over the line in the last over to win by four wickets.

Sunday saw better weather as Ponthir arrived for this re-arranged 2nd XI G&MCL match. Ford again won the toss, and with a strong looking side elected to bat.

A good opening partnership set the platform, and despite some middle over flakiness when wickets were needlessly lost, Dinas fired their way to huge 264-6, with Matt Todd-Bennet (53), Ford (46*), Josh Clogg (38) and Lewis Clarke (37) the main contributors.

Following another superb tea, and with plenty of home support providing boundary banter, the Villagers kept the Ponthir openers on a tight rein before Upinder Singh struck the first blow.

Thereafter, despite some wayward bowling (again far too many wides wides were conceded, although the umpiring was harsh at times), the young Ponthir side never looked like getting the runs, and were bowled out for 148, meaning a victory margin of 116 runs. Chairman Jason Harries cleaned up the tail with 2-1 in seven balls, with Connor Hetherton (2-16) and Rhys Lloyd (2-45) the pick of the rest of the bowling.

The 3rd's got half a game in at St Fagans before the rain ended proceedings. Dinas batted first and scored 142-7, with 50's for Rob Tucker (his second consecutive half century) and Geoff Colley, but the weather closed in and prevented the second innings. Match abandoned.

Next weekend's matches

Saturday, June 20

1's v Machen: Bryn y Don 1pm

2's v Sully Centurions: (A) 12.30pm

3's v Abercarn II: Common 1pm