BANGOR maintained their slender advantage at the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division summit with a hard-fought win at Northop.

The championship contenders were made to sweat before eventually securing a ten-run triumph on the road, leaving them level on points with Denbigh as they prepare for a weekend off before their trip to Pwllheli on June 15.

Although they lost in-form teenager Owen Reilly early on when he was trapped lbw by James Birch for one, a strong partnership from David Winter and Franco Kasner put on 88 for the second wicket before the latter played a Mark Poynton delivery into the hands of Matthew Williams on 43.

Winter was also ousted on the same score soon after courtesy of Bart Beswick, and Robbie Marshall (22), Idrees Ijaz (11) and Matty Haswell (16*) kept the scoreboard ticking over in a positive fashion throughout the closing stages.

The performance of Nadeem Rehman was another massive positive to take from the game, with the experienced batsman hitting eight boundaries on his way to 71 as the away side posted a target of 226-6 from their allotted 50 overs.

Michael Hughes got Bridge off to a positive opening in the field when he removed the dangerous opening pair of Alex Gill and Harry Lewis for 12 and 28, before Reilly superbly ran out Tom Blackwell after he made a promising 18.

A far more resolute presence at the crease was Ammar Mahmood, who came in at number three and turned in a virtuoso display before he was despatched by Rehman on 65.

This proved crucial to the overall outcome, and Kasner obliterated the lower order with the wickets of Williams (16), Birch (0), Danny Nicholson (4) and Beswick (16) to end the day with figures of 4-35.

A 35 knock from Ben Beaver was the only other positive for the hosts, who fell narrowly short and made 214 all out in reply.