Aberaeron came out on top in an entertaining match dominated by two powerful batting line-ups to move top of the Fine & Country WWCCC Championship and secure their place in the next round of the Cricket Wales Welsh Cup.

Aberaeron (367-8) beat UWA Commoners (272) by 95 runs, West Wales Conference sponsored by Fine & Country

Aberaeron won the toss and elected to bat. Ash Oakes was unlucky not to strike early as he elicited an edge from the first ball, the ball flying through the cordon and to the boundary. Ollie and Steff survived a dangerous opening spell and with the match being played under Welsh Cup rules, the score soon started to build as Faisal Shahzad struggled to control the swinging ball and wides mounted.

Captain Bill Somerfield was forced into an early change and turned to Ollie Somerfield to tighten things up. Despite solid bowling, Aberaeron eased past 50 in the opening power play before Commoners turned to the spin of Arshad Sher to attempt to curb the momentum.

Arshad did remove Ollie Evans for 16, Peter Brett officiating adjudging him LBW. This brought Jamie Davies to the middle and with his attacking approach and a fast outfield the scoring rate quickly rocketed to 10 runs per over. Steff eased his way to 53 with 8 fours and a six before bunting a full toss to Ash Oakes in the covers to hand Ollie Somerfield a wicket.

Hywel Rees was then dismissed by Arshad with a hard spinning leg break that came back through the gate of left-handed Rees to bowl him for 6.

At 121-3 and with three of the more experienced batters back in the shed, Aberaeron were in danger of squandering an excellent start. Ted Trewella and Jamie Davies steadied any nerves as together they blasted 80 quick runs to take Aberaeron to 200 at drinks, still scoring at 10 an over.

Ted fell to Harish Singh immediately after drinks, Bill Somerfield with the catch, for 27. Neil Snowdon was next in and it was more of the same for the Commoners bowlers as they could not stem the flow of runs. Davies in particular was at his belligerent best as anything pitched up was flayed down the ground. Commoners were brave in the field but paid the price as Oakes, Sher and Bill Somerfield all took blows to the body attempting to save runs.

Harish eventually got Jamie for 83 as his slower ball was struck firmly towards Bill at long off who held a fine low catch. At five down Commoners would have thought that they were into Aberaeron’s lower order but it is a testament to the depth of Aberaeron’s batting that there was no let up in the scoring.

Kevin Regan took over from Jamie Davies and where the latter had peppered the straight boundaries, Kev attacked square of the wicket. Despite losing Snowdon for 28 to a fine one handed catch by Oakes, a stand of 62 with Arif Saad (16) took Aberaeron past 300. Kevin eventually fell for 67 off 39 balls with 11 fours and a six, bowled by Arshad Sher in his last over. Morgan Ashton and Simon Mitchell both finished not out on 11 as Aberaeron pushed to 367/8 in their 40 overs. Sher was the pick of the Commoners bowlers, finishing with 3-55 from his 8.

After some much needed refreshment at tea, provided by Y Cadwgan, Commoners began their mammoth chase. Ash Oakes and Guy Baron opened for Commoners and Oakes showed no sign of the hand injury that had restricted him in the field, stroking a couple of boundaries from Simon Mitchell’s first over. Steffan Rees wasted no time in his first over though, swinging one in past Guy Baron’s defence to bowl the experienced batter for 0 from his second ball faced.

This brought Arshad Sher to the crease and if there was any sign of nervousness at an early wicket lost this was dismissed immediately as Arshad smashed two long straight sixes off two balls almost identical to the one that had bowled Baron.

What followed was a display of hitting so clean and powerful that it even overshadowed Jamie Davies’ effort. Arshad punished anything full and straight, plundering 11 sixes and 11 fours in a magnificent 123.

But despite Sher’s efforts, Aberaeron kept plugging away and removing his batting partners. Steff had Ash Oakes caught by Morgan Ashton for 26 and then struck twice more next over to have Ashley Chihaka and Faisal Shahzad both for 0.

Simon Mitchell, was finally rewarded for a fine spell of 8 overs with the wicket of James Carver Hardy, his figures somewhat ruined by the onslaught from Sher.

When Paul Hughes removed Hozefa for 7 with the score on 112, it seemed that despite Arshad’s 68 runs to that point, the match was over as a contest to all intents and purposes. Bill Somerfield defied such predictions as first with Arshad and then Ollie Somerfield he continued to scrap away to get Commoners a chance of an unlikely victory.

The crucial moment in the chase was when Hywel Rees removed Arshad, bowled by a swinging delivery attempting another of his trademark strokes back over the bowler’s head.

Despite a stand of 76 by the two Somerfields, the required rate was always going to be a massive ask and Hywel eventually removed both - 63 for Bill and 26 for Ollie.

A run out effected between Hywel and Ollie Evans at the bowlers end brought Commoners reply to an end. They stayed on the required run rate throughout their 33 overs faced but eventually ran out of batters.

For the second match in a row between these two teams, over 600 runs were scored and both teams felt they were in with a chance of victory throughout. The strength in depth of the Aberaeron batting line up and one or two more wicket taking options with the ball proved the difference between the teams on the day.

Aberaeron move top of the league with three wins and maximum points so far. Rachel’s loss to Aberystwyth 2nd XI blows open the Championship race as this season’s competition features 6 strong sides each capable of beating the others on their day. Commoners face a resurgent Aberystwyth 2nds next while Aberaeron host Tywyn on Sunday. Aberaeron will play Llandysul away in the next round of the Welsh Cup on Sunday 4 June.

Report by Arif Saad