IN the inaugural match between the league composite team and the reigning champions, over 500 runs were scored at Aberaeron. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was marked by two glorious centuries, writes Huw Chambers.

Home captain Hywel Rees called correctly and invited his opponents to bat.

With a slight breeze coming from the southwest, Steffan Rees and Ollie Evans proved a very competitive opening attack, Rees with his rapid inswingers and Evans shaping it away from the right hander.

Opening batsmen Anup Menon and Dave Jenkins proved equal to the task, both playing straight and covering the movement.

Menon hit a powerful on-drive to the boundary off Evans in the 6th over, but was bowled for 4 by a yorker from Rees in the 7th.

Sumesh Anthony departed in the next over as well, mishitting a full toss straight back to Evans, who made a difficult return catch look easy.

Mo Aslam made light of early season rustiness, everything striking the middle of the bat.

He and Jenkins took care in rebuilding the innings, and after 12 overs, the score stood at 29-2. Hywel Rees entered the attack, initially keeping the batsmen contained.

Aslam now showed how to take a game away, concentrating on the leg side when facing spin.

Full deliveries were swept, whilst he went back deep into his crease to pull shorter ones. With Jenkins gliding the ball into the gaps and using the pace,

Aslam’s power took its toll on the Aberaeron change bowling. He played a couple of remarkable back foot jabs which sailed over the bowler’s head for six.

He reached a fine century, and Jenkins’s unselfish stint was rewarded with a fifty of his own.

The pair put on 180 in 24 overs before both fell to the returning Steffan Rees, Aslam holing out to Jamie Davies on the long-on boundary and Jenkins being caught at square leg by James. They had scored 118 and 56 respectively.

With overs running out, Ishaan continued the onslaught with a couple of fine hits over long off, and skipper Nigel Salmon showed that finesse still has a part to play with a couple of deft late cuts.

Ishaan was bowled by Evans for 34, and Salmon perished on the long-on boundary as Pitchford took a fine catch off Huw Rishko.

The innings concluded at 269 with a flurry of sixes from Phil Abraham and Waqar Younis, the latter being caught off a skier by wicketkeeper Jacob Jenkinson off Bleddyn Thomas.

The Aberaeron opening bowlers proved their salvation, Steffan Rees finishing with 3-22 and Ollie Evans with 2-39.

The home side needed a good start to have any ambition of overhauling the imposing total, and Ollie Evans and Jacob Jenkinson were not intimidated in the least.

A flurry of boundaries off Ishaan and Waqar saw the score move to 26 after 5 overs.

The bowlers managed to get a measure of control by dragging their length back, but a score of 40 for no wicket after ten overs was promising. Jason Davies was brought on as first change, and his second over proved to be the decisive one in the match.

Evans drove him powerfully to mid-on, where Phil Abraham nonchalantly took a stinging catch above his head.

Davies then had the dangerous Steffan Rees caught behind by Sumesh Anthony and proceeded to rip through the middle order.

Hywel Rees struck one fine six, but then failed to clear mid-off, Abraham taking the catch again.

Alex Pitchford fell to exactly the same combination.

With the innings stalling and the run-rate climbing, Jamie Davies tried to clear the boundary, but Ishaan sprinted in from long-off to make a difficult catch look easy.

In the blink of an eyelid, Jason Davies had taken all five wickets and reduced the batting side to a perilous 68-5.

Jenkinson needed somebody to stay with him, and Huw Rishko stabilised the innings.

He also played a superb cover drive to the boundary, one of the most classical shots of the day. In trying to repeat the shot off Waqar, he sliced the ball to point, Huw Chambers taking the catch.

Waqar then yorked Morgan Ashton in a manner reminiscent of his namesake. At 99-7, the end was nigh, but Jenkinson now really started to motor. With no hint of slogging, he unfurled a range of shots on both sides of the wickets, the straight drive being prominent.

Bleddyn Thomas, after a gingerly start, showed himself no mug, and hit a six of his own. Mo Aslam was introduced, and a mistimed pull by Thomas brought his demise, the ubiquitous Abraham taking his fourth catch at square leg.

With Jenkinson in the 90s, the strike was all-important, and Rhys James sacrificed himself in giving his partner the strike, Waqar capping a splendid fielding performance with a direct hit from mid-off.

With last man Doug Whittaker at the crease, Jenkinson calmly swatted the next ball high, wide and handsome to reach three figures.

The match was now settled, but the game-within-a-game continued as Jenkinson and Whittaker gamely battled to salvage honour, and the league side strived to wrap things up.

Whittaker dead-batted, whilst Jenkinson hit out.

The last over saw a confrontation of the centurions, and an extraordinary onslaught by Jenkinson on Aslam. He hit the first two balls for four, and then sixes off the remaining four.

In doing so, he passed 150 and finished on a remarkable 159 not out, he and Whittaker having put on 72 for the last wicket, of which the latter made a defiant 2.

Jason Davies ended with wonderful figures of 5-27, Waqar taking 2- 35.

A fine tea was enjoyed by all, and Martin Ashton kept score throughout.

A great day’s entertainment has set up the ‘Fine and Country’ Conference’s season in style, and we hope for an exciting summer.