CORWEN are turning into Division One draw specialists as they played out their third consecutive stalemate, this time at home to local rivals Rhewl.

After losing another toss Rhewl were asked to bat first and were the third successive team to be unable to complete victory over an emerging Corwen side.

The wicket was always difficult to bat on and only Jon Eccles (47) really came to terms with the conditions, with his watchful vigil eventually ending in the 47th over.

Corwen started with Josh Maynard and Simon Harrison and it was Maynard who struck first trapping Chris Campbell leg before in the third over.

Alex Gill, who scored well against Corwen in the previous encounter, joined Eccles and this pairing put on 18 before Simon Harrison had Gill caught behind by Carl Green.

Batting conditions were not easy as, although the bounce was good, the ball was swinging and, more significantly, seaming off the pitch and it needed a watchful eye.

Corwen's lack of a spin option nearly cost them dear.

Ed Hurst and John Eccles kept the scoreboard moving but Corwen kept to the task and with the score on 59 Hurst was well caught in the slips by Colin Nicoll off Nathan Aldridge for 20.

Duane Partelow then came to the crease and this was to be the last meaningful partnership for Rhewl with this pairing taking the score onto 93-4 in the 31st over.

Partelow was out leg before off Aldridge for 19 with Eccles being very watchful and cautious at the other end.

Wickets fell at regular occurrences but when Eccles finally fell for a grafted 47 to another catch behind by Carl Green off the bowling of Llyr Jones then Rhewl declared their innings on 134-9.

The pick of the bowlers for Corwen were Jason Jones (2-14) and Llyr Jones (2-24).

This looked a competitive score at half time – however Corwen got off to an excellent start putting on 33 for the first wicket in the first 10 overs.

Rhewl skipper Gareth Morewood was quick to react and introduced his spinning duo of Rob Eccles and Chris Campbell and the latter had Nicoll caught behind off his first ball for 19.

Campbell then had Duckworth caught and bowled some six overs later. The pitch was ideal for these two bowlers offering both bounce and, at times, prodigious amounts of turn, particularly for Campbell.

The run rate slowed dramatically with Eccles being particularly miserly but Campbell being the more dangerous.

Campbell also removed Sharp (15) and Maynard to leave Corwen teetering on 49-4.

Nathan Aldridge and Duncan Roberts steadied the ship and these two put on 19 runs in the next 12 overs before Roberts was caught and bowled by Eccles.

Aldridge followed in the next over caught behind off Alex Gill for 20.

Corwen were now 68-6 with two new batsmen at the crease and staring defeat in the face.

Simon Harrison mistimed a drive to be caught, but John Wildman came to the crease and continued on from the previous weekend with a resolutely focused technique and with Jason Jones striking the ball superbly these two started to build a recovery.

Jones and Wildman secured a good draw and the possibility of a win crept back into the minds of the Corwen team.

However, it was not to be as when Jones was caught for 32 the draw was inevitable and Llyr Jones and John Wildman saw Corwen safely home.

All three of the spin bowlers for Rhewl, including Alex Gill, were excellent, but the pick of these have to be Rob Eccles (1-4 off 13) and Chris Campbell (4-20 off 13).