DINAS Powys Cricket Club's 1st XI entertained Vale CC at a parched Bryn y Don on Saturday.

Vale won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bat on a bone dry pitch with a dry and fast outfield and cloudless sky.

The visitors got to 75 before the first breakthrough came courtesy of the ever reliable an metronomic Alex Vowles.

Reuben Mitchell struck soon after with three wickets and at 113-4, the hosts appeared to have the upper hand.

However, some ordinary fielding and 27 wides (almost 5 overs extra, plus the additional 27 runs plus the additional runs off those extra balls) saw Vale push on. A superb one handed catch low to his right from 'keeper and skipper Gordon Hannah off the bowling of Jack Houghton was the only other wicket to fall as Vale reached 272-5 off their 45 overs.

The Villagers surely would have been disappointed to gift Vale the extra balls and runs, but would have felt 272 gettable on a good day with a flat track and fast outfield.

Unfortunately this wasn't a good day.

The talismanic Hannah who was restricted by a groin injury picked up in the field, started well but was undone by a fine yorker in the third over.

Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals, with only Jeff Mitchell, perhaps lucky to get away with a close run out call making any serious inroads into the chase with 37.

With wickets being gifted, at 112-8 Dinas were in danger of not only losing the match but failing to muster valuable batting points.

With veteran Geoff Colley (37*) going in lower than planned due a wardrobe mishap, and Alex Vowles (20) and Reuben Mitchell (8) keeping Colley company, the home side saw the score to 191 before Mitchell was the last man out.

A disappointing day for the Villagers when some of the basics went missing in action.

The 2s travelled the short distance to Barry Island Oval to take on Barry Athletic. Batting first the Villagers scored 163-8 in their 45, with James Hiscocks hitting a personal best of 42 up the order.

Rob Tucker 33 and Gareth Storey with a patient 25 were the other main contributors.

In reply, Athletic scored the required runs for the loss of 3 wickets with plenty of overs left in the tank.

Hiscocks, Andy Hurley and Rhys Lloyd were the wicket takers for the Villagers.

The 3rds had to concede their match at Blaengarw due to lack of players through injury and other unavailability in the club.

Saturday’s SEWCL League matches:

1sts home (Bryn y Don) v Sully Centurions

2nds away v Gymkhana 2nds

3rds home (Common) v Lisvane 4ths