There was a comfortable victory for North Wales Cricket League Division 1 team Dolgellau on Saturday when they travelled to Buckley, winning by 90 runs, avenging a 5 wicket defeat earlier in the season at the Marian.

Visiting captain, Jack Williams opted to bat first, Dolgellau notching up 220 for 9 from their 45 overs.

From the doldrums of 8 runs for 5 wickets, Buckley made a good recovery, but fell well short, all out for 130 in the 27th over. Dolgellau’s Sion Francis had a good day with the bat and ball, top scoring with 77 and taking 2 wickets, opener Dave Jenkins made 46 while Lafras Van Vuuren claimed 5 for 32 and Jack Williams 3 for 36 when Buckley batted. 

Dolgellau lost 2 wickets in the first 6 overs, Jack Williamson and number three Lafras Van Vuuren dismissed in identical fashion, caught in the covers by Johnny Hewitt from the bowling of Louis Parry, to make it 21 for 2. Opener Dave Jenkins and Jonathan Lloyd added 32 in 9 overs, Lloyd adjudged lbw to Matt Blunden for 15 with 2 boundaries. Sion Francis joined Jenkins and together they added 87 for the 4th wicket to move it on from 53 to 140 for 4 in the 31st over, Jenkins scoring a solid 46 with 8 fours until he was bowled by the returning Ollie Fellows.

Francis was on 40 at this juncture and during an alliance of 32 with Jaco Oosthizen reached his fifty with a four, the half century coming off 64 deliveries. Two wickets fell on 172, Oosthuizen hit a huge six in his 18 before he was bowled by Parry who earlier went off injured after just 1 ball of his 6th over. Stuart Evans went to a direct hit run out, Sam Jones the fielder; 172 for 6 in the 37th over.

Dolgellau’s Sam Jones hit 2 fours in his 9 as he and Francis took it to 208 for 7 a stand of 36 at which Jones was bowled by Hewitt, Francis on 75. Three runs later Francis’ excellent knock of 77 came to an end, run out with another direct hit, Fellows the fielder this time. His 77 included 3 sixes and 11 fours and came off 86 balls faced.

Rob Humphreys and Jack Williams saw off the last two overs, the former attempting a ramp shot off the final delivery by Jack Gibson, only to glove it to the keeper Gary Mayers; the total 220 for 9, Williams the not out batter. For the hosts Parry had 3 for 31 from 8.1 overs, Fellows 1 for 36 from 9, Blunden 1 for 25 off 9, Gibson 1 for 25 from 5 and Hewitt 1 for 56 from 8.5 overs. 

Nobody expected the events that followed after the interval. Buckley slumped to 8 runs for 5 wickets, Jack Williams taking 3 wickets and Sion Francis 2 wickets. Four wickets fell with the score on six, opener Mayers was stumped by Humphreys off Williams, Sam Jones lbw to the same bowler, Parry and skipper Chris Geary both bowled by Francis and Carl Jutson castled by Williams.

There followed a recovery as number four Ollie Fellows took the attack to the bowlers and with Danny Peover took the total to 60 for 6 adding 52 for that 6th wicket. Fellows had made 33 off 22 balls, with a six and 6 fours until he went to a well judged catch by Williams on the deep long on boundary from the bowling of Lafras, the first of his 5 wickets. At 86, Gibson, who made 19 with 4 boundaries, was caught by Humphreys off Lafras. Peover and Hewitt moved it past the hundred mark, the latter bowled for 9 by Lafras; 110 for 8. Twenty more runs were added as the last 2 wickets went down, Blunden bowled and Tom Pool well caught by Richard Rees to complete Lafras’ 5 wicket haul, 5 for 32 from 8.5 overs. Peover batted well and was undefeated on 41 from 63 balls with 6 fours.

To go with Lafras’ bowling exploits, Williams finished with 3 for 36 from 5 overs and Francis 2 for 23, also from 5. Buckley were all out for 130 to give Dolgellau a 90 run victory.