DINAS Powys Cricket Club 3rd XI travelled the very short distance to Wenvoe to face rivals Sully Spartans for a fiercely contested encounter on the back of three consecutive wins.

Spartans won the toss and surprisingly asked Dinas to bat on a slow, low track which was only going to get worse as the game wore on.

Skipper Red Todd-Bennett sent in Rob Tucker and Tom Eden to open up but Sully got an early breakthrough as Tucker played around one getting bowled in the process.

Eden and Andy ‘Smudger’ Smith rebuilt the innings fantastically as they took the game to the Spartans bowlers but were forced to work for their runs due to a prime for a cut and gargantuan outfield.

After the pair saw off the opening bowlers on came Sully spinner Davies or was it Shane Warne? Spartans crowded the bat with three slips, a gully, silly mid-on and silly mid-off to name just a few short fielding positions.

Any passing MCC member could be forgiven for thinking it was a five-day Test Match and returning to sit in the Wenvoe pavilion donning the iconic bacon and egg jacket.

Eden was having none of it though as he whacked Davies back over his head for a boundary and the stubborn partnership continued to frustrate Sully until Smith tried one hoik too many, departing for 24.

Geoff Colley, with hamstring just about intact, came in to partner Eden who finally fell for a terrific 65 after grabbing his maiden half century for the club.

Once Colley (19) was also dismissed LBW it sparked a bit of a collapse with only Alex Vowles and Gareth Hodges (eight and five not out respectively) keeping Dinas afloat at the close.

After 40 overs Dinas finished on 158-8 which provided a difficult target for Spartans on a deteriorating wicket.

With tea at Sully’s Seashore Grill post-match, Dinas were keen to get back on the field and after some geeing up from the skipper they set about defending their total.

After a couple of big hits early on, Reuben Mitchell got the breakthrough dismissing dangerman Shoaib and from then on Dinas were fired up. Rhys Lloyd bowled superbly claiming three wickets and Sam ‘Ken Barlow’ Marlow was also outstanding, bowling a tight nine-over spell while helping himself to a similar haul.

Lloyd threw in for an excellent run out and Hodges (3-1-4-2) cleared up the tail leaving Sully all out for just 81 as Dinas ran out winners by 77 runs.

This was a magnificent team performance which also marked the end of an era as stalwart Mike O’Donovan, who fittingly pouched the winning catch at slip, leaves the club as he moves with his family to Essex.

Mike has been a great servant over the years and all at Dinas Powys Cricket Club wish him all the best for the future.

One can only assume that the move is due to retired head teacher O’Donovan’s ‘interesting’ fashion sense catching the eye of ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ producers so keep your eyes on ITV2 in the months ahead.

Meanwhile the 1st XI entertained Cardiff Gymkhana in a tasty 2nd versus 3rd encounter at Parc Bryn-y-Don.

Dinas captain Nathan 'Norman' Piddock lost the toss for the first time in six games, and temporary Gymkhana captain Mansoor Tariq decided to bat on a very flat and true wicket.

Gymkhana started strongly and looked to attack from ball one. Tehmoor Tariq led the way initially making a fine 76, but it was his brother Mansoor who impressed the most with an excellent 102 not out in a hefty total of 313-7.

Connor Hetherton was the star with the ball for Dinas with 3-42 and two fine catches in the deep.

Needing to start positively, skipper Piddock selected Asad Rizvi and Brychan ‘Brunswick’ Tudor as his opening pairing and the plan paid dividends as Rizvi tucked in to the Gymkhana bowling attack.

It really was a tale of two openers though as Tudor scratched about which probably led to Rizvi's demise as he was out for a well-made 59 trying to push the scoreboard with Brunswick struggling on a paltry 13.

Brunswick didn’t last much longer and last week’s centurion Curtis Wingren was brought back to earth with a bang soon after as he was caught having done no damage done to the scorecard.

Captain Piddock joined Matt Todd-Bennett at the crease with a growing need to stabilise the innings. Unfortunately, Todd-Bennett was next to go, two balls after he delivered his idea of the "master plan" to Piddock between overs on how Dinas were going to win the game.

Piddock watched from the other end as Jack Thomas, for the third week running, saw Daddles the Duck. But with Jack Preston joining him, the skipper got into his stride punishing the bad ball each over.

After bringing the 50 partnership up, Preston was out caught behind with Dinas struggling on just 159-6.

Piddock shortly after reached his half century, but was undone by star of the show Masood Tariq as the bowler achieved figures of 5-57.

Some lusty blows at the end from Jeff Mitchell (22), Connor Hetherton (25), Matt Bloxham (27 not out) and a reverse sweep from Steve Bussell (19 not out) got Dinas to maximum batting points meaning they closed on 266-9 albeit losing out to Gymkhana by 47 runs.

Dinas now go in to next week’s game against Monkswood needing to get back to winning ways if they want to continue their promotion push.

The 2nd XI visited Newport to play the plural of Harrison Ford’s 1993 blockbuster, The Fugitive. Harrison’s namesake Andy, the Dinas skipper lost the toss and following the film’s plot the home side, batting first started to get away from Dinas.

Fugies racked up a good score of 232 in their 45 overs with opener Adams hitting an excellent 93.

Upinder Singh (8-3-40-2) and Ollie Coughtrey (5-0-34-2) were the highlights with the ball for Dinas and somehow Gareth ‘J-Guy’ Evans, with his dodgy throwing action managed to pick up two run-outs.

After a Jason Harries endorsed tea, Dinas struggled with the chase. Only Harries himself (34) and Lloyd Di Mauro (31) managed to really trouble the scorers in the top six as Evans, Niles Wilton, Josh Clogg and the skipper, Andy Ford were all dismissed for little or no runs.

Serial blocker Richie Morgan (17), who surprisingly managed to find the white rope on a couple of occasions, was the pick of the lower order as a miserable Dinas toiled to 128 all out with Harrison’s boys as opposed to Andy’s running out winners by 104 runs.

Saturday’s Fixtures (July 25)

1st XI v Monkswood 1st XI (Away)

2nd XI v Pontymister 2nd XI (Home - Parc Bryn-y-Don)

3rd XI v Cynon Valley 1st XI (Home - The Common)