17-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Heavy rain and fish marred Ammanford's clash at Bridgend
The encounter took place on Saturday at Newbridge Fields, where heavy rain the previous night had caused the Ewenny River to overflow, flooding the fields.
The situation was so dire that a beached fish was discovered just yards from the boundary, raising questions about the match's viability.
Winning the toss proved crucial, as the home side opted to field first on a treacherous surface.
The away side struggled to cope with the unpredictable bounce, managing to scrape together a total of 84 runs for nine wickets in 25 overs.
Skipper Rhys Davies showed commendable resilience, top-scoring with 21 runs, while his brother Rhodri contributed 19 and opener Owain Baxter added 15.
Tomos Jones was the standout bowler for Bridgend, claiming four wickets for 14 runs.
As the pitch dried out, the home side found batting significantly easier.
Skipper Sam Wood anchored the innings with an unbeaten 46, guiding Bridgend to victory with eight wickets in hand and seven overs to spare.
This defeat leaves Ammanford precariously positioned just above the relegation zone, with Cardiff and Swansea currently occupying the bottom spots.
In contrast, Ammanford's third XI celebrated a thrilling five-wicket victory against Maesteg Celtic.
A century partnership between Darren Davies Jr, who scored 63, and Nicholas Evans, who added 34, propelled Maesteg to a total of 186 for six.
Aron Matthews was the pick of the bowlers for Ammanford, taking three wickets for 30 runs.
The away side responded with a solid performance, led by opener John Jones, who scored 53, and Gavin Davies, who contributed 44.
An unbeaten 31 from Ifan Jones ensured Ammanford crossed the finish line with just a single ball to spare.
In the Premier League T20 KO Cup, Ammanford advanced to the next round with a straightforward seven-wicket win over Swansea.
After being put in to bat, Swansea struggled to build momentum, finishing with 98 runs for eight wickets.
Osian Webber top-scored for Swansea with 32 runs.
Ammanford's Owen Davies took three wickets, while Craig Maloney and Daniel Rees claimed two each.
In response, Owain Baxter led the charge with an unbeaten 38, supported by Maloney's 31, as Ammanford reached their target with an over to spare.
Next Saturday, Ammanford will host Abergavenny at the Park, looking to bounce back from their recent league defeat, and Llandysul in the Welsh Cup on Sunday.
