LLANDUDNO kept their North Wales Cricket League Premier Division championship hopes alive with a convincing seven-wicket win at Northop.

The second-placed side turned in another polished performance to emerge with a comfortable success on their travels, and they currently sit 37 points behind title favourites Menai Bridge with the pair set to square-off at The Oval on Saturday.

Skipper Jack Rimmington got the visitors off to a flyer with the early wicket of Andrew Oates for four, with Jamie Grimshaw taking out the dangerous James Roberts and Ben Beaver for one apiece.

Teenager Matthew Jones was a constant thorn in the hosts’ side, and he was on hand to finally removing the top scoring duo of Tom Blackwell and Darren Williams for 47 and 58 respectively, and he also disposed of Matthew Williams (7) and Scott Oates (0) on his way to figures of 4-27.

Impressive lower order scores from Andy Poynton (38*), Danny Nicholson (21) and James Birch (20*) provided some much-needed runs late on as the home side set a target of 211-8 from their allotted 50 overs.

Jones did not replicate this form with the bat and was taken out by Birch after making 16, but fellow opener Danial Evans fared much better but was trapped lbw by Poynton on 37.

Wicketkeeper Keegan Armstrong and Sam Rimmington all-but sealed the triumph with a third-wicket partnership of 113, with the former producing a series of exceptional strokes to end the day unbeaten on 84.

Rimmington produced of his best knocks of the season before he played a Tom Blackwell delivery into the hands of Nicholson on 52, with the away side reaching their required total for the loss of three wickets after 47 overs of play.