Second XI fall short
15-05-10
Talismanic all-rounder Oliver Saynor led the charge with bat and ball but was unable to prevent Carmel's Second XI from slipping to an agonising 12-run defeat at Connah's Quay.
Skipper Barry McGauty lost the toss in the North Wales Cricket League Division Four clash and the Quay opted to bat on a belting track in glorious conditions.
Opening bowler Saynor, though, quickly made headway into the Quay batting line-up as a hostile spell saw him claim 3-39 off 10 overs before he pulled up with a recurring ankle injury.
Dafydd Timothy was his usual miserly self as he took 2-29 off his 12 overs and when Timothy Abraham returned figures of 2-13 off five overs the home side looked in serious trouble at 81/7.
However, Carmel's second-string bowlers were unable to make an impact as an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 140, combined with some sloppy fielding, saw Connah's Quay post an imposing 221/7 off their 45 overs.
Derek Johnson (23) and McGauty (20) made a brisk start to Carmel's response after tea before they were both bowled. And a collapse looked on the cards when Gwion Dafydd was run out for 11 and Alex Blythin bowled for a duck.
Jon Fisher (41) and Gareth Hughes (39) steadied the innings through a difficult middle period but Carmel were unable to keep up with the rate required for victory.
Big-hitting Abraham (9) and Saynor came together with six overs remaining but despite the former pulling a big six out the ground it was the latter who rose to the occasion.
Saynor peppered the boundary with some powerful hitting to finish unbeaten on 32 as he and Gareth Roberts (6 not out) took Carmel to a fourth point and past the 200-mark.
Victory was always a tall order with 30 required from the final over but Saynor was able to worry the home side sufficiently as the visitors finished on 209/7 - 12 runs short of what would have been a famous win. Full scorecard here...