BETHESDA’s promotion hopes are now out of their hands after a mixed Bank Holiday Weekend that began with a narrow 87-run home win over North Wales Cricket League Division One rivals Bersham.

The hosts set a good target of 212-4 from their reduced 40 overs at the crease, with wicketkeeper Nicholas Parry producing a standout innings to end the day unbeaten on 82.

He was aided considerably at the other end by Matthew Harrington, who contributed 60 to the overall score before he was eventually caught off a Nuwan Amarakoon delivery, with Ioan Roberts and Matthew Buchanan both scoring 17 apiece.

A standout bowling performance from Gareth Edwards ensured Pesda achieved their success in comfortable fashion, decimating the middle order on his way to four wickets for the loss of just four runs from an action-packed two over spell during a crucial stage of the contest.

Randheer Bandara (31) and Amarakoon (36) made a fight of things throughout, but it proved to be for nothing as the visitors finished on 125-9 in reply.

They followed this up with a nine-run defeat at Llay Welfare on Monday, with Edwards once again the pick of the Pesda bowlers with 4-29 as the home side were all out for 133.

Despite another impressive 50 knock from Parry, only two other visiting batsmen made it into double figures as they recorded 124 all out to fall agonisingly short of what would have been a crucial victory.

The result leaves Pesda in third spot in the standings and seven points behind Mochdre ahead of their trip to struggling Abergele on Saturday.