Club Cricket: Abergele Off To a Double Loss

Abergele Cricket Club, in the North Wales Cricket League Division II, got off to the worse possible start for the season with two defeats over the bank holiday weekend.

Saturday saw Gele playing against Menai Bridge 2nds at Menai's Ground.

Gele got off to a decent start with David Moulson and Dave Catherall doing well before a bad umpiring decision. Catherall being the departed for 10.

Wickets continued to tumble and that was the downfall for Abergele. Moulson departing for 13, Wasim Ali 7, Tony Ward 12, Ed Rooney 16, and Dewi Davies 18, all got starts but didnt continue on a very decent surface.

The bottom order pretty much all fell to Daniel Surgey who collected figures of 5-38 off his 11 overs.

Gele, whose strength is in their bowling, got off to a wonderful start as Menai set off chasing 116 to win after Gele posted 115 all out.

Gele captain and wicket-keeper Dewi Davies through down the stumps at the non-strikers end to get the ball rolling on the wickets collumn for Gele.

Things turned into Abergele's favour when Moulson reverted from medium-pace to left arm spin.

He took 3-16 off his allotted 12 overs, which included 9 maidens from all his 9 overs of spin.

He took the wickets of Gethin Roberts, Nick Preston and J Davies to put Gele in a comfortable position.

It was Nick Evans who saw Menai home with a well-made 42, he was the pick of the Menai batsmen and seeing them home for a 7-3 points win and a comfortable 5 wicket victory for Menai.

Monday saw Abergele take on Northop 2nds at Pentre Mawr Park.

Gele bowling first limited Northop to a modest 136-7.

Seventeen-year-old opening bowler Karl Higgins recorded career best figures of 5-25 off his alloted 12 overs. This his first 5 wicket haul but surely not his last.

Moulson again was in good form with the ball recording economical figured of 12 overs eight maidens seven runs and one wicket.

Mike Williams batted very well and very accomplished for his 47 not out, him being the pick of the Northop 2nds batting card with his excellent long innings.

Ed Rooney and Wasim Ali's 53 run partnership took the game Gele's way but an excellent spell from pace man Liam Naylor and left arm spinner Tom Allman took them game away from Gele.

Rooney was eventually out for 41 and Ali was bowled for 36.

Abergele need to find abit of luck if they are to move up the table and with a home game against St Asaph 2nds on Saturday, things could start turning their way.