Pontarddulais CC 110/6 Tata Steel CC 102/7
Tata Steel’s preparations for the new campaign hit a narrow roadblock this weekend as they fell to an eight-run defeat against Pontarddulais CC in a tightly contested pre-season friendly.
In a match defined by disciplined bowling and a tense run chase, it was Pontarddulais who held their nerve at the death to secure the win after electing to bat first.
The Pontarddulais openers found the early conditions to their liking, with Lewis Edwards anchoring the innings. Edwards played a masterful hand, top-scoring with a composed 52 to provide the backbone of his side's 110 for 6 from their 20 overs.
The Tata Steel attack, however, refused to let the game get away from them. Preetham Venkatesh was the standout performer with the ball, returning impressive figures of 2 for 15 from his four-over quota. Bermudian all-rounder Jaiden Manders offered vital support, maintaining a tight line to finish with 1 for 20 from his four overs, ensuring the target remained within reach.
In reply, Tata Steel’s pursuit of 111 was a stop-start affair. Manders shifted gears from his bowling duties to lead the batting charge, showing glimpses of fine early-season form. He and teammate Rohith Bharadwaj both notched 26 runs, but the pair struggled to find the boundary consistently enough to break the pressure.
The decisive spell came from Pontarddulais bowler Callum Croft. Croft dismantled the Tata Steel middle order, claiming 3 for 15 in a clinical four-over spell that squeezed the life out of the chase.
Despite a late flurry of runs, Tata Steel were restricted to 102 for 7 as the 20th over drew to a close. While a loss is never the desired result, the all-round contribution from Manders will provide plenty of encouragement for the Tata Steel coaching staff as they look ahead to the official season opener.
Pontarddulais CC Inning
..52 (26) Lewis Edwards st Richard Jones b Daniel Melindo
..36 (52) Carl Roberts Not Out
..04 (09) Oliver Rogers st Richard Jones b Daniel Melindo
..04 (11) Iestyn Rees b Preetham Venkatesh
..01 (09) Owen Thomas b Preetham Venkatesh
..02 (06) Jac Arrowsmith Run Out
..01 (05) Rhys Barlow b Jaiden Manders
..01 (02) Callum Croft Not Out
..09 Extras (1lb-8w)
110 Total for 6 wickets after 20.0 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-64 (Edwards); 2-82 (Rogers); 3-96 (Rees); 4-103 (Thomas); 5-105 (Arrowsmith); 6-109 (Barlow);
Tata Steel CC Bowlers
2.0-0-26-0 Adam Jardine
2.0-0-16-0 Damien Williams
4.0-0-23-2 Daniel Melindo
4.0-0-20-1 Jaiden Manders
4.0-0-15-2 Preetham Venkatesh
4.0-0-09-0 Hashir Azeem
Tata Steel CC Inning
..00 (02) Jack Donovan LBW Luke Benton
..26 (32) Rohith Bharadwaj c Iestyn Rees b Jac Arrowsmith
..26 (34) Jaiden Manders c Luke Benton b Oliver Rogers
..04 (16) Adam Jardine st Jac S Williams b Callum Croft
..13 (21) Daniel Melindo Not Out
..12 (08) Preetham Venkatesh c Carl Roberts b Callum Croft
..07 (06) Sai Nikhil Reddy Bathula c Mathew Fisher b Callum Croft
..00 (01) Iestyn Rees Run Out
..00 (00) Richard Jones Not Out
..14 Extras (3b-11w)
102 Total for 7 wickets after 20.0 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-0 (Donovan); 2-63(Manders); 3-67 (Bharadwaj); 4-69 -(Jardine); 5-81 (Venkatesh); 6-94 (Bathula); 7-101 (Rees);
Pontarddulais CC Bowlers
3.0-0-15-1 Luke Benton
3.0-0-18-0 Rhys Barlow
4.0-0-24-1 Oliver Rogers
2.0-0-12-0 Owen Lewis
4.0-0-15-1 Jac Arrowsmith
4.0-0-15-3 Callum Croft
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