21st September 2015
| Mallory Gray
Wales’ cricket
teams continued their impressive run of form by picking up a number of key wins
as they looked to finish the season on a strong note.
Wales U17 entered
the final part of the season with a tough trip to Bath to play Somerset, and
bowled first on a flat surface. Despite Roman Walker's (North East Wales) spell
of 2-29, Wales found it hard to take regular wickets, with Somerset hitting
337-4 before declaring. Wales in response staggered to 78-6, with only Adam
Keane (Cardiff and Vale) (32 not out) making a considerable score in an
ultimately losing cause.
Against Dorset in a
50 over a side game, they fared better, batting first and hitting 167-8. Morgan
Murray-Williams's (North East Wales) 46 not out at number 7 was the highest
score for Wales, in a batting line-up that mostly struggled to adapt to
conditions. In response however, Pembrokeshire’s Tom Murphy (3-18) was the pick
of the Welsh bowlers with the hosts bowled out for just 149.
Next up for was a
trip to play Nottinghamshire who batted first on a surface that gave batsmen
plenty of reward for their shots. Wales U17 struggled to make regular inroads
and Nottinghamshire's 329-9 was a score Wales failed to replicate, only
mustering 211 with West Glamorgan’s Tiaan Thomas Wheeler (52) the sole man to
pass the half century mark. Nottinghamshire went on to win the match on a
superior first innings score.
Wales U17 won their
game against Warwickshire in a tightly fought match. Batting first Wales U17
hit 259-8 with Cardiff and Vale’s Dafydd Manley's enterprising knock of 65 from
102 balls leading his team to a respectable score. In reply, Warwickshire got
to 211-6 before proceedings were brought to a close, with Wales given a victory
on highest first innings score.
Wales U11 also
enjoyed a successful month, with a number of wins at the Taunton cricket
festival held at King's College. After an impressive win against a talented
Barbados academy side, Wales U11 also picked up victories against Yorkshire and
Buckinghamshire. Nevertheless they were beaten to the title by the former by
just 3 points.
Nevertheless Wales
U11 finished the season with 9 wins from 18 games, with keeper-batsman Alex
Horton (Gwent) scoring a total of 1006 runs with 12 catches and 10 stumpings
behind the wickets - a record for an U11 keeper.
“Overall it has
been a very successful season for our age-group teams,” said Cricket Wales
performance director, John Derrick. “We
have seen some excellent performances throughout the season. We will be looking
to build on this through the winter, and aim for further improvement in 2016.”
Ieuenctid
Cymru’n gorffen y tymor yn gryf
Mae timau criced
Cymru wedi parhau i greu argraff dda drwy gael nifer o fuddugoliaethau
allweddol, gan orffen y tymor ar nodyn gobeithiol.
Wrth i’r tymor ddirwyn i ben roedd tîm
D17 Cymru’n wynebu taith galed i Gaerfaddon i chwarae yn erbyn Gwlad yr Haf, a
nhw fowliodd gyntaf ar lain wastad. Er
gwaethaf bowlio Roman Walker (Gogledd Ddwyrain Cymru), a gymerodd 2-29, cafodd Gymru drafferth cipio
wicedi’n rheolaidd, a sgoriodd Gwlad yr Haf 337-4 cyn cau’r batiad. Mewn ymateb, baglodd Cymru i gyrraedd 78-6,
gydag Adam Keane (Caerdydd a’r Fro) (32 heb fod allan) yn unig yn cael sgôr
sylweddol wrth i Gymru fethu â chyrraedd y nod.
Cawsant fwy o hwyl
arni mewn gêm 50 pelawd bob ochr yn erbyn Dorset, gan fatio’n gyntaf a sgorio
167-8. Morgan Murray-Williams (Gogledd Ddwyrain Cymru) a gafodd y sgôr uchaf i
Gymru, sef 46 heb fod allan, gyda batwyr
y tîm yn cael trafferth addasu i’r amgylchiadau. Mewn ymateb, fodd bynnag, Tom Murphy o Sir Benfro (3-18) a fowliodd orau i Gymru
gyda’r tîm cartref yn cael eu bowlio allan am 149 yn unig.
Yna teithiodd y tîm
i chwarae yn erbyn Swydd Nottingham, a fatiodd gyntaf ar lain oedd yn
gwobrwyo’r batwyr yn hael am eu
hergydion. Cafodd Gymru fawr o hwyl arni
a methodd y tîm â chyrraedd sgôr Swydd Nottingham o 329-9, gan sgorio 211 yn
unig. Tiaan Thomas Wheeler, Gorllewin Morgannwg (52) oedd yr unig chwaraewr i
sgorio dros hanner cant. Aeth Swydd
Nottingham ymlaen i ennill y gêm yn sgil eu sgôr uwch yn y batiad cyntaf.
Enillodd tîm D17
Cymru eu gêm yn erbyn Swydd Warwig mewn gornest glos. Gan fatio’n gyntaf, cafodd Gymru sgôr barchus
o 259-8, gyda Dafydd Manley, Caerdydd a’r Fro, yn llwyddo i sgorio 65 oddi ar
102 o beli. Mewn ymateb, sgoriodd Swydd
Warwig 211-6 cyn i’r chwarae ddod i ben, gyda Chymru’n cael y fuddugoliaeth ar
sail eu sgôr uchaf yn y batiad cyntaf.
Cafodd tîm D11 Cymru fis llwyddiannus
hefyd, gan ennill nifer o gemau yng ngwyl griced Taunton a gynhaliwyd yng
Ngholeg y Brenin. Yn dilyn buddugoliaeth
gadarn yn erbyn tîm talentog academi Barbados, llwyddodd y tîm D11 i drechu
Swydd Efrog a Swydd Buckingham hefyd. Fodd
bynnag, methon nhw â chipio’r teitl o drwch blewyn, gyda Swydd Efrog 3 phwynt
yn unig ar y blaen.
Serch hynny, gorffennodd tîm D11 Cymru y
tymor gyda naw buddugoliaeth allan o 18 o gemau, gyda’r batiwr-wicedwr Alex
Horton (Gwent) yn sgorio cyfanswm o 1006 o rediadau gyda 12 daliad a 10 stympiad
tu ôl i'r wicedi - y perfformiad gorau
erioed i wicedwr D11.
“Bu’n dymor llwyddiannus iawn i’n timau
grwpiau oedran ar y cyfan,” meddai rheolwr perfformiad Criced Cymru, John
Derrick. “Cafwyd rhai perfformiadau
gwych trwy gydol y tymor. Gobeithiwn adeiladu ar hyn trwy’r gaeaf, a cheisio gwella
mwy eto yn 2016.”