SAINTS RACE TO TITLE SUCCESS Max on the march as Hamilton crashes out
ST FAGANS are the champions of the South Wales Premier Cricket League. They retained the title – finishing eight points ahead of secondplaced Swansea – thanks to an 88run victory over Ammanford.
Alex Hinkley scored 78 and Jack Murphy 51 as St Fagans were dismissed for 227 after opting to bat first. Xavier Clarke took 3-43.
But that total was more than enough as Owen Morgan’s 5-38 helped the hosts reduce Ammanford to 139 all out in 30.3 overs.
Swansea, who looked championsin-waiting just a few weeks ago only to suffer a loss of form, at least ended their season on a winning note with a five-wicket win at home to Bridgend Town.
The visitors scored 200-7, with openers Sam Wood (70) and Luke Humphries (40) giving them an ideal platform with a century partnership.
Swansea had their wobbles in their run chase and were 69-5 at one stage, but an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 136 between Adnan Ghori (73 not out) and Gareth Hayden (63 not out) saw them home.
Newport finished third after beating Cardiff by 143 runs.
Newport’s batsmen were strong across the board, with Imran Hassan making 56, Harry Friend 51, Mujahid Ilyas 48 and Jack Hope-bell 44 in a total of 249-9.
Sam Swingwood took 4-51 for the visitors.
Mujahid then starred with the ball, taking 5-14 as Cardiff were all out for 106. Callum Taylor took 3-37.
Neath ended the season in fourth after beating Port Talbot by 16 runs.
Lorenzo Machado scored a brilliant 116 off 110 balls as Neath made 271-7. Scott Matthews added 63 and Samuel Jardine 54.
Stuart Phelps took 3-24 for Port Talbot.
The hosts’ run chase got off to a good start with Ed Byrom (59) and Liam Davies (55) putting on an opening stand of 114.
But a steady stream of wickets followed with Joe Parkhouse leading the way with 3-40. Despite Daniel Rowe making an unbeaten 43, Port Talbot fell short on 255-9.
Pontarddulais ended Clydach’s stay in the top flight by beating their near neighbours by seven wickets.
The Swansea Valley side reached 231-9 in 50 overs, with Jack Todd smacking an 83-ball 96 that included 14 boundaries and two sixes.
Opener Steff Davies scored 60, while Lukas Carey starred for the home attack with figures of 4-44.
Carey then gave Bont a fast start in their reply as he hit 10 fours and a six in an innings of 49 that lasted just 26 balls. Mathew Fisher (73 not out) and Richard Grant (71) finished the job as the hosts won with more than 18 overs to spare.
Ynystawe are the Premier League 2 champions after beating Ynysygerwn by 10 wickets.
The Neath Valley side were all out for 102 after being put in to bat as Matthew Blake and Lee Hicks both claimed three wickets. Nicholas Maggs provided the main resistance with 38.
Ynystawe reached their target in just 12.4 overs with Tom Blake unbeaten on 54 and Nathan Lee 44 not out.
Pentyrch finished second winning by 51 runs at Llanelli.
The visitors made 248-6 in their 50 overs with opener Lewis Coates topscoring with 72. Skipper Todd Wilcox added 63.
Llanelli openers Steve Devonald (85) and Owain Baxter (43) gave the home side a solid platform, but after
Coates’ 10-over spell of 4-23 triggered a collapse and they were reduced to 197-9.
Cowbridge ended the season in third position after beating Carmarthen Wanderers by 39 runs.
Cowbridge were dismissed for 171 as Gareth Thomas ended with the fine figures of 4-24. Salman Saeed (48) and Chris Willey (42) shone with the bat.
But the Wanderers struggled in their reply as both Saeed and Tom Williams took three wickets. Owain Binding scored 35, but the visitors were all out for 132.
A dazzling century by Aneurin Norman guided Mumbles to a sevenrun win over Gorseinon.
Norman’s 129 came off just 107 deliveries and featured seven sixes and 13 boundaries. He scored more than half of Mumbles’ runs as they were all out for 250. Rhys Humphries took 3-38.
Gorseinon had a good go at their target, but fell short on 243-7. Thomas Fowles top-scored with 61 and he found support from Adam Hitchcott (44), Matthew Roberts (42) and Christopher Morgan (40).
Gregory Thomas took 3-44 for Mumbles.
Tom Sidford (55) and Nick Morgan (54) steered Penarth to a four-wicket win over visiting Chepstow.
The hosts, chasing a target of 208 to win, looked in trouble when they limped to 59-5 as Jason Dobbie took 4-24. But a 99-run stand between Sidford and Morgan helped them to victory.
Ben Hope-bell had earlier made 72 in Chepstow’s 207-9. Nathan Piddock and Syed Bukhari both took three wickets.
MAX Verstappen continued his emphatic march towards his second world championship in as many years by winning the Belgian Grand Prix from 14th on the grid
He claimed his ninth win from 14 races and is 96 points clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
But while Verstappen moved stylishly towards another victory, Lewis Hamilton was called an “idiot” and told “he only knows how to drive and start in first” by a furious Fernando Alonso following their openinglap crash.
Hamilton’s race was over inside four corners. After he followed his one-time team-mate through the uphill Eau Rouge corner, and then at 200mph on the ensuing straight as they duelled for second, he jinked to the left of Alonso under braking at Les Combes.
Hamilton was marginally ahead, but as he turned in for the corner, his right-rear tyre made contact with Alonso’s leftfront wheel.
The Briton was launched into the air and landed forcefully on the belly of his Mercedes.
Hamilton attempted to soldier on, but water was pouring out of his machine and he was ordered by his team to stop.
“What an idiot,” yelled double world champion Alonso over the radio. “Closing the door from the outside.
“I mean, we have a mega start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
But while this was unfolding, Verstappen was ready to launch his attack through the field.
The Dutch driver qualified almost seven-tenths faster than anyone else, but started in the lower echelons of the grid after taking on his fourth engine of his title defence – one more than is permitted under the rules.
But such was Verstappen’s speed, he was up to eighth by the end of the first lap, and then third by lap eight. At the end of lap 11, Carlos Sainz stopped from the lead for new tyres, and moments later Verstappen sailed past Sergio Perez for first.
Verstappen briefly dropped to second when he changed tyres, but a few laps later he was back ahead of Sainz and that was that.
He crossed the line 17.8 seconds clear of Perez as Red Bull completed a dominant one-two finish, with Sainz third. Perez is now second in the championship race, 93 points behind.
George Russell finished fourth, while Leclerc finished sixth after a five-second penalty.