South Wales Premier League Cricket

Bridgend (172-6) beat Ammanford (128) by 44 runs

With one match remaining of the 2013 season, Ammanford are destined to return to the South Wales Cricket Association with their tails between their legs.

It will be the first time in the Premier League’s short history that the reigning champions have been relegated.

Saturday’s match at Bridgend was Ammanford’s last remaining lifeline, but they failed to take it and lost by 44 runs.

They are now 23 points adrift at the foot of the table below Swansea, whom they visit next Saturday for the final game of what has been a depressing league season.

Ammanford won the toss and invited Bridgend to bat on a difficult wicket.

A steady fall of wickets saw the home side slump to 94 for six with 14 overs remaining, but then an unbroken stand of 78 between 17 year old Thomas Dalton (58no) and 16 year old Sam Pearce(38no) took them through to 172 for six.

Ammanford found the batting conditions just as difficult.

Their highest scorer, skipper Alun Evans, took 40 overs over his patient 47 runs, and the only other two batsmen to reach double figures were opener Rhydian Harris (22) and keeper Gareth Slade (19).

Ammanford were all out for a painful 128 after 48 overs.