COLWYN BAY took a huge step towards safety on Saturday after landing their first win of the season in a basement battle with Hightown.
The Bay dug in to record a two wicket win to move six points short of their opponents in the Liverpool Competition Premier Division.
A couple of early wickets from Paul Jenkins and Ryan Holtby set the Bay off on the right foot, but a rally from their tenth placed visitors took the score to 120 for Jenkins’ third wicket of the day.
A superb spell from young bowler Arthur Jones then saw off Hightown’s resistance, taking four for 38 from 12 overs as they finished on 166 for nine.
Skipper Graeme Jones then led by example as the Bay’s new opening batsman, scoring 29 and teaming up with Jordan Evans to reach 56 for his wicket.
Evans also put in a great shift, top scoring with 42 as he helped the score on to 130 for six. Tom Roberts then anchored the rest of the innings, rattling off 28 from 24 balls as the Bay finally won at the 15th time of asking, rising off the foot of the table in the process.
Colwyn Bay travel to second placed Northern this weekend in the first of seven remaining Premier Division fixtures.
The Bay’s seconds ran out of overs in a rain-shortened match with Sefton Park on Sunday, following up a disappointing defeat to Northern.
Arthur Jones’ five wicket haul and four from skipper Dave Wallace saw Park end on 134 all out, but despite solid scores from Wallace (28), Chris Rowley and James Jones (20) and Oliver Pitman (23), they just ran out of overs, finishing 12 runs short.
On Saturday, Northern were bowled out for just 99 with another five wicket haul arriving from Tom Clarke, as well as four for 14 and seven maidens from Ethan Ray.
But a weak response undermined the superb bowling performance, as only Chris Rowley, with 24, put up any sort of resistance as the seconds were bowled out for 55.