SOUTH WALES PREMIER

NEWPORT were given a huge boost in their defence of the Thomas Carroll South Wales Premier Cricket League Division One title as they beat Port Talbot Town and leaders Cardiff were beaten by former champions Bridgend Town at Forest Farm.

Newport won the toss and elected to field, which saw Port Talbot bat first. Luke Gosby led the charge with 26 while Owen Morgan whacked 21 as Port Talbot were bowled out on 119. Josh Aston proved troublesome with the ball as he took 4-13 while Callum Taylor bagged 3-19.

And Taylor continued to cause damage in the second innings as he smacked 41 before being caught out by Barney Huxtable. Imran Hassan added an unbeaten 46 but there was the threat of another possible abandonment as the rain started to come down.

But with the overs reduced to 30, Newport went on to claim the sevenwicket win on 125-3.

And after a number of weekends left frustrated by the weather, Newport were finally celebrating as Cardiff fell to their third defeat of the season, to Bridgend Town.

There was a sign it would be an off day for Cardiff at the very beginning when the usually reliable Alex Milton managed just two.

But they went on to post 195-8 with captain Greg Holmes hitting 67 and Prem Sisodiya adding a useful 42. FOR the second week running Brecon pulled off a stunning victory over one of the Thomas Carroll South East Wales Cricket League Division One big hitters.

Still buoyed by their victory over leaders Newbridge, they went to Malpas and won by 31 runs, a result which also ended the second-placed side’s seven-game winning run.

Dan Jones took 4-26 as Brecon were all out for 176 after Malpas had won the toss and elected to field.

Rezwan Hassan and James Francis both also collected a couple of wickets while Brecon skipper James Mitchell, batting at No. 9, finished unbeaten on 61.

Malpas looked to be cruising to an eighth straight win at 79-0 but were bowled out for 145 in reply.

They quickly folded after the departure of openers Francis (36) and Michael Martin (31) who were both dismissed by Richard Lovering (425).

Newbridge, meanwhile, bounced back with a 47-run success against bottom club Blackwood Town

Newbridge had a point to prove following that loss at Brecon and they made it, with Lewis Parfitt’s unbeaten 65 helping them reach 189-4 batting first, with help from Will Davey, who made 48.

Andrew Clarke (36) top-scored for basement boys Blackwood, who were then bowled out for 142 in reply, with Scott Greaves taking 4-20 to help seal

Alex Jones claimed a five-wicket haul for Bridgend and the visitors continued to reap rewards in the second innings.

Jeremy Lawlor was the main man for Bridgend with 68 while skipper Tom Baker added an unbeaten halfcentury (52) as Bridgend finished on 200-5 to topple the leaders and blow the title race wide open.

Newport are now just 18 points behind Cardiff with four games left to play.

In the only other fixture to go ahead in Division One, Mumbles beat Penarth by 47 runs at Main Square.

Mumbles posted 188-9 with Rhodri Evans claiming 65 and Chris Nelson hitting 40.

But Penarth looked confident in the chase as Jonathan Davies struck 60. Richard Skone added 47 as Penarth looked to claim victory but Dan Roberts (3-25) and Evans (3-25) helped bowl them out on 141 to ensure Mumbles left with the win.

Meanwhile there are new leaders in Division Two after St Fagans came out on top in a top-of-the-table clash with Tata Steel.

Matthew Jones hit 53 as Tata posted 168-7 after 50 overs while Cameron Bamford was on hand to add 46 not out.

But an unbeaten 54 from Andrew Leering then steered St Fagans to victory, with help from Gareth Rees (41), on 169-5.

SOUTH EAST WALES

an important victory for Newbridge, their ninth of the campaign.

Newbridge are 14 points clear at the top with four weeks of the season remaining.

Abergavenny took another step towards bouncing straight back up to Division One with a six-wicket home victory over Rogerstone Welfare in their top-of-the-table Division Two clash.

In what was a rain-affected clash at Avenue Road, Abergavenny won the toss and put Rogerstone into bat, bowling them out for 89 in 26.2 overs.

Dan Cooke and Ross Melrose both bagged three wickets apiece, while David Clarke and Sam Clarke picked up two each.

After time was lost in the match, the hosts were given a slightly reduced target of 79 from 34 overs, which they knocked off in 15.4, with opener Andrew Jones there at the end on 26 not out.

Division Three leaders Crumlin slipped to their first defeat of the campaign, going down by 46 runs at third-placed Monmouth in a rain-reduced 40-overs-a-side match.

Monmouth batted first and posted 151-9, with opener Matt Jones striking 42 while Connor Hopkins picked up 4-26.

Then, despite 49 in reply from Hopkins, Crumlin were eventually bowled out for 105 thanks largely to the efforts with the ball of Paul Swingwood, who took 4-19.