SOUTH WALES PREMIER
NEWPORT’S bid to regain the South Wales Premier League title remains firmly on track after they inflicted a crushing 110-run defeat on reigning champions and big city neighbours Cardiff in their own backyard.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first at Forest Farm, Newport openers Joseph Voke (55) and Imran Hassan (116) put on a 151-run opening wicket stand to lay the foundations.
Hassan’s knock included 18 fours and two sixes before Callum Taylor also chipped in with 81 as the visitors put 323-7 on the scoreboard from 50 overs.
Cardiff were then 97-6 in response until Tom Berry with 54 not out and David Elias with 56 offered some resistance – 91 for the eighth wicket – but ultimately their efforts would be in vain as the home side fell short on 213-8.
Taylor took 3-28 while Ian Thomas also picked up a couple of wickets.
It was a fifth win on the bounce for Newport while this defeat for Cardiff was their fifth so far with their hopes of retaining their title now looking all but over.
Newport’s lead at the top is 22 points with nearest challengers St Fagans involved in a thrilling tie at bottom side Ynysygerwn.
Opener Gareth Rees’ 109 helped St Fagans to 265-8 batting first before remarkably Ynysygerwn, needing two off the last over to secure only a second victory of the season, were then bowled out bang on 265 with the very last ball.
Adam Davies was left stranded on 81 not out.
Third-placed Neath enjoyed a sixwicket win at Bridgend Town.
Batting first Bridgend made 273-8 off 50 with skipper Tom Baker notching 83 and Thomas Cogbill also in the runs before he was run out on 92.
Sean Griffiths took 4-44 and Adam Sylvester 3-52.
Neath openers Richard Grant (68) and Steffan Roberts (93) then set about making inroads in reply and, with Sean Griffiths adding 48, the visitors managed to get over the line off the last ball of the 44th over.
Ammanford were five-wicket winners at Port Talbot Town while Pontarddulais edged out Mumbles by one-wicket. In Division Two, Ynystawe won the big top-of-the-table clash at Penarth by two wickets to increase their lead at the top. Penarth won the toss and batted, going on to make 183 before being bowled out.
Richard Skone top scored with 45 before falling off the bowling Tom Davies who took 3-33.
The league leaders looked in a spot of bother at 60-6 in reply before Tom Morgan (47) and Alex Fletcher (31) came together to put on 80 for the seventh wicket and swing the game back their way.
They still needed 37 with two wickets remaining when they Morgan was dismissed but Rhys Palmer and Ben O’Connor steered them to victory – their eighth from nine matches this season.
Meanwhile that slip by Penarth allowed Clydach to jump above them and into second place following their five-wicket win over Malpas.
MISKIN Manor took advantage of Newbridge’s absence to open up a 20-point lead at the top of Division One of the Thomas Carroll South East Wales Cricket League.
In a battle of the two relegated sides, who both competed in the South Wales Premier Cricket League last season, Miskin claimed an impressive 130-run win over struggling Tondu.
League leaders Miskin won the toss and batted first, posting 289-5 from 49 overs.
Daniel Hay led the way for Miskin with a stunning century (107no) while Carl Whiteley was on hand to add an extra 88, from 80 balls.
The rain came down during Tondu’s chase, which saw their overs reduced to 36 with a revised target of 242.
Kurt Greatorex (37) and Tom Jenkins (35) did their best to earn Tondu a third win of the season but they ran out of overs on 159-8, handing Miskin a big victory.
The win came 24 hours after Miskin’s 15-run victory over Brecon.
Newbridge weren’t in action but will play their game in hand against Abergavenny on Sunday, August 26.
Elsewhere, Brecon were made to sweat before claiming a narrow fiverun win over Usk.
Batting first, Brecon struggled with Andy MacDonald the leading scorer on 18.
It was the bowlers who enjoyed a more productive display with Ben Jones (3-15) and Jack Norman (3-27) bowling them out on 116.
Neil Perrett struck 35 as Usk looked to knock off the runs but they suffered a late collapse going from 91-5 to 111 all out, courtesy of a five-for from Tom Jones (5-31).
At Parc y Dwrlyn, Duckworth-Lewis was needed to help Pentyrch beat Croesyceiliog by two wickets.
Croesy were inserted, after losing the toss, and were bowled out on 225 off 46.2 overs.
The weather then saw Pentyrch’s overs reduced to 46 with a revised target of 212. They sealed the win after just 44.4 overs on 215-8.
In other action, Pontypridd (1548) saw off Sudbrook (151) by two wickets and newly promoted Cardiff Gymkhana (210) sealed a sixth win of the season with a 150-run triumph over in-form Chepstow (60) with bowler Usman Jaura dazzling with a superb eight-wicket haul.