SOUTH WALES PREMIER
NEWPORT’S charge towards the title in division one of thr South Wales Premier League continues as they beat Port Talbot Town comprehensively by 138 runs at Spytty Park to make it six wins on the bounce.
Opener Nick Selman struck 54 after the hosts won the toss and batted, going on to post 238-7 off their 50 overs.
Wicketkeeper Mark Wallace chipped in with 42 and skipper Matthew Norris made a useful unbeaten 48. Lewis Jones and Michael Samuel both picked up a couple of wickets.
The visitors, with only three victories all season, never looked like getting anywhere near their victory target and were bowled out for 100 in reply. Selman capped a fine all-round individual display with 4-10 off 3.2 overs and also took a catch. Callum Taylor bagged 3-18 while Harry Powell snared 2-13.
St Fagans, who had started the weekend in second, slipped to a sixwicket home defeat against Bridgend Town.
St Fagans were all out for 197. Matthew Maynard top-scored with 51 while Jack Davies (4-30) and Alex Jones (3-30) shone with the ball for Bridgend, who were then led brilliantly by skipper Tom Baker in reply.
Baker’s 80 not out inspired the run chase for the visitors, who won with nearly four overs to spare. Sam Wood added 48.
Neath took advantage as they moved up a place into second after recording win number eight of the season, returning from Mumbles with a seven-wicket victory.
Adam Sylvester took 4-24 as Mumbles were all out for 99, with Sean Griffiths taking 3-30. Neath then knocked off the runs in 21.5 overs, with Griffiths 39 not out.
Ammanford are up to third after they won by 45 runs at home against bottom side Ynysygerwn.
They posted 272-7 off 50 while the visitors were reduced to 227-9 in re- ply. The other game in division one saw reigning champions Cardiff bounce back from back-to-back defeats with their first win in three – by 46 runs at Pontarddulais.
Cardiff made 240-9, Prem Sisodiya (94) leading the charge before he was run out by Shaun Harris six runs short of his ton.
Tom Barry contributed 44 before he was caught and bowled by Sam Roberts, who was the leading Bont wicket-taker with 4-64.
Despite a solid start in reply with Paul Rees (43) and Cameron Herring (45) putting on 80 for the first wicket, the home side were then all out for 194 in reply.
Sisodiya took 3-22, while Barry, Thomas Bevan and captain Greg Holmes also took two wickets apiece.
There was a shock in division two as table-toppers Ynystawe slipped to only their second defeat of the season when they were turned over by three wickets at bottom-of-the-table Swansea.
Having been put in to bat, Swansea went scored 258-7 off their 50 overs, opener Ben Stein leading the charge with 106.
Then, despite 62 from Morgan Hodges, Ynystawe fell short on 223-9 in reply.
There was a thumping 216-run win for Clydach at Llanelli.
Sam Davies hit 88 while Jonathan Hubschmid scored 57 as Clydach reached 263-5 before Llanelli were skittled out for just 47 in reply.
Jamie Lewis stole the show with a sublime bowling performance, taking seven wickets for 17 runs.
There were also wins for Newport Fugitives and Carmarthen Wanderers – Liam Rogers hit a six off the last ball to give Wanderers a thrilling three-wicket win – while the game between Penarth and Tata Steel had to be abandoned after the umpires deemed the damaged outfield to be unplayable. EADERS Miskin Manor slipped to only their second defeat of the season in Division One of the Thomas Carroll South East Wales Cricket League – going down by 67 runs at home against Cardiff Gymkhana.
Visitors Gymkhana reached 240-9 off 50 overs after winning the toss.
Mohammad Salman and Hazrat Bilal both scored 51 while Nathan Robinson took 4-43.
Miskin were then all out for 173 in reply. Justin Thomas top scored with 34 while Mansoor Tariq took 3-23.
However nearest challengers Newbridge were unable to take advantage as they went down by 75 runs at Chepstow – who were inspired by a stunning batting performance from Tyler Morgan-Huggett.
He whacked 23 fours and two massive sixes in his majestic 164 off 149 balls as Chepstow put 276 on the scoreboard.
Newbridge were then all out for 201 in reply with the gap to Miskin 17 points although Newbridge do have a game in hand.
It’s as you were in Division Two with Monmouth leading the way from Blackwood Town as both sides bagged 20 points from their respec- THIRD placed MAESTEG CELTIC made the trip to Hills Plymouth to face MERTHYR TYDFIL.
The hosts started poorly, losing a very early wicket, but Rhys Boswell helped steady the ship.
However, such ship would soon capsize as a poor mid-innings followed by a flurry of wickets from Rhodri Thomas (4-12) in the late stages of the innings would leave Merthyr Tydfil at just 87.
It was a matter of when rather