15/06/2026
On Saturday the Saints 1st XI welcomed Menai Bridge to Elwy Grove Park. Menai began the day as the Premier Division table toppers but met a Saints team looking to maintain their 100% league winning record.
Winning the toss, the Saints skipper, William Ryan, elected to bat first and the opening pair of Evan and Kyle Williams certainly took advantage of this decision in some style. Putting together a crucial 117 run stand for the 1st wicket, Kyle continued his brilliant start to the season scoring another polished 77. Meanwhile Evan, proving a great acquisition for the Saints, added another 36 runs to his already encouraging start to the season.
There then followed a mini batting collapse, leaving the Saints tottering on 163 for the loss of 6 wickets.
However the 2 Dan’s, Evans and Ryan put together a quite spectacular unbroken 114 run partnership for the 7th wicket. Dan Ryan, quite often the unsung hero of the 3 Ryan brothers, scored a crucial unbeaten 43 but it was his batting partner Dan Evans who deserved all the plaudits scoring a quite spectacular and game changing 85 not out. Initially starting his innings when wickets were tumbling around him he steadied the ship and together with Dan Ryan upped the tempo and then took the game away from the visitors. He finished the Saints innings by blasting 30 runs off the final over of the innings which included 4 huge 6’s and also a boundary 4. This helped the Saints finish on 273 for the loss of 6 wickets from their allotted 50 overs.
In reply Menai Bridge were never really in the game, losing wickets at regular intervals. The pick of the bowlers were Joe Norman, who added another 4 wickets to his impressive season’s haul, and 3 wickets for young leg spinner Ankush Upadhyaya. The remaining wickets were shared by Eren Ranu, Dan Evans and Dan Ryan.
Bowling out the visitors for 149 the Saints won by 124 runs and collected 18 points for their efforts to move to the top of the Premier Division table.
Meanwhile in the reverse fixture at Menai Bridge the 2nd XI suffered a disappointing 79 run loss. Depleted by the loss of some key players to the 1st team the Saints saw the hosts score 207 in their allotted 40 overs. Wicket takers for the Saints were the 2 young Hewitt brothers, Finn and Zac and also Chetan Upadhyaya.
In reply the Saints 2nd XI could only muster 128 all out, with skipper Andrew Mearns leading the way with 55, ably supported by the evergreen Rich Aram with 31 and veteran Gareth ‘Budso’ Jones with an unbeaten 23. Losing by a disappointing 79 runs the Saints picked up only 1 point for their efforts and currently sit too close to the Division 2 relegation zone for their liking.
