Home by ten runs (From Barry And District News)

Home by ten runs

SULLY Centurions, rained off on Saturday at Pentyrch, started the defence of their Premier League title with a tense Bank Holiday victory at Penarth, winning by 10 runs.

Centurions, without five First team players and with two debutants, were a little nervous. They won the toss and with black clouds and sunshine swapping places, elected to bat.

Skipper Jamie Sylvester and his new opening partner Mike Newbold compiled a superb 134 opening stand off 36 overs, and looked to have laid a foundation for a big total when Newbold was caught off Vaughan Davies for 62.

Mike O'Shea joined Sylves-ter and they pushed the run rate up with a 72-run partnership in just nine overs. O'Shea looked in excellent form and with Sylvester playing a typical innings of great determination, Centurions were in the driving seat.

O'Shea was caught off Thomas for 42, but Centurions then lost five wickets for the addition of just 17 runs.

Jamie Sylvester fell just four runs short of what would have been a truly magnificent century as Sully finished on 223-7, from their 50 overs.

Penarth started steadily, but with 21 runs on the board, Peter Rose had Morgan caught behind by Sam Docherty for 11. Skipper Ricketts, steady as ever, was joined by Round and they added 44 runs before Jamie Sylvester bowled Ricketts for 33.

Van de Merwe went for four off Everson and although Davies and Round added 44 for the fourth wicket, overs were running out.

At 114, Davies was caught by Newbold off O'Shea for 22 and with only 14 overs left, Penarth needed 110 runs for victory. Maddocks joined Round and immediately injected some pace into the run rate. Round's long innings ended with the score on 146, when he was run out for 46.

The experienced Richard Skone joined Maddocks and together they brought Penarth back into the game, taking the score to 202.

But Jamie Sylvester struck a vital blow when Maddocks was well caught by Huw Williams for an excellent 48.

Rushbrook took a magnificent catch on the long-off boundary to dismiss Skone for 23, then ran out Hughes and Centurions were home.

Centurions 223-6. J Sylvester 96, M Newbold 62, M O'Shea 42. R Skone 3-20, M A Thomas 2-37.

Penarth 213-8. K Maddocks 48, C Round 45. M O'Shea 2-38. J Sylvester 2-44.