Pwllheli Cricket Club News

Pwllheli Old Boys fight it out in South Wales

With no fixture for the 2nds and being (surprisingly?) overlooked for the 1sts, the resting Keith Dabson made the long journey south to witness an unexpected encounter between two former Pwllheli cricketers  (actually it was to see Cardiff City’s first game of the season!). 

On arriving in the capital on the Friday night and partaking in an excellent curry at the Llandaff Curry House (highly recommended) there was some interesting team news ahead of next day’s Division One game at Pentyrch.   Dafydd Dabson was playing for the home side, and (yes) a certain Ceiri Rowlands was in the visiting table-topping Penarth Eleven.  This was something I could not miss (well, actually we arrived after 5ish to see most of the Penarth innings and the end of the match).

The debutant Rowlands (sadly minus the classic white helmet which he says he “mislaid” last week) was padded up to come in at number five, and sitting on the pavilion bench looking characteristically relaxed. He relayed the story so far………….

Pentyrch had struggled to 100 off 35 overs against the accurate Penarth attack before number 4 Bennett with 50 off 31 balls and the aforementioned number 5 Dabson with 31 off 20 balls had doubled the score to give the home side 217 for 7 off their 50 overs. (“The Cat” Rowlands surprisingly was not asked to turn his arm over).  The aforementioned Dabson had then gone for 17 (yes 17) off the first over of the Penarth reply.

 
The score stood at 40 off 7 overs when I had arrived, and Dabson (surprisingly left on?) had settled into some sort of rhythm down the hill, and eventually finished with two wickets for 37 off his full 10 overs including clean-bowling the dangerous Penarth openers with what he says were “cracking” deliveries.

Rowlands strode to the crease just as Dabson finished his spell (shame) with the score at 70 for 3 and produced what I must say  was a “classic” Ceiri innings.  Beaten all ends-up by the first two deliveries, he soon started to connect with his trademark offside drives (unfortunately they seemed to mostly find the Pentyrch fielders!).  When he finally departed for a dogged 20, the visitors were in the driving seat. 

The elder Dabson was now seen walking the boundary, bottle of Brains SA in hand, with Moore the home groundman (he who stayed in Pwllheli Butlins 50 years ago).  The Penarth innings fell apart after Rowland’s dismissal and the suicidal run out of their top-man saw them finally bowled out for 200. 

A few more bottles (kindly bought by the very sociable Groundsman Moore), some chat (Ceiri is coming to Sussex!) and back to Station Road for lasagne and red wine……..Oh yes, City grabbed a point the next day thanks to a Bothroyd equaliser.