SOUTH WALES PREMIER LEAGUE
NEWPORT captain Matthew Norris admits his title-chasing side got out of jail yesterday when their clash with St Fagans at Spytty Park was abandoned due to the rain.
St Fagans are the only side to have beaten the league leaders in 2018 and, after bowling Newport out for 109, looked like they may have been on their way to completing a league double over Norris’ men.
In what were bowler-friendly conditions, the hosts were unsurprisingly inserted after losing the toss, with former Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace their top scorer with 25 as they were all out in 32.1 overs. Jeremy Lawlor took 4-27, while Gareth Rees and Owain Hopkins both collected a couple of wickets.
St Fagans were then going along nicely at 36-0 off 10.1 overs when the weather finally called a halt to proceedings and the Newport skipper admitted his side may well have been fortunate.
“Obviously it’s got us out of jail,” he said. “We probably didn’t deserve to win. The conditions favoured bowling and, although we played some poor shots, it was good bowling from them.”
It ended Newport’s eight-game winning run in the league since that defeat by St Fagans on May 26 but, with only four games of the season now remaining, they remain in the box seat to regain the title they surrendered to Cardiff last year.
“We’re definitely not counting our chickens,” continued Norris. “We’ve played good cricket over the past two years and the boys deserve it, but we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels.
“We’ll be looking to put in a good performance now at Pontarddulais next week and get the win and put this weekend behind us.
“We’ll just look to keep play good cricket and do the simple things correctly and everything will take care of itself.”
Nearest challengers Neath’s scheduled game at Ynysygerwn was cancelled without a ball being bowled and that was the same for the games at Ammanford and Port Talbot Town against Pontarddulais and Bridgend Town respectively.
The only other game in Division One to get going was at Forest Farm between reigning champions Cardiff and Mumbles.
After being put in Mumbles put 267-7 on the scoreboard from their 50 overs. Dan Lewis-Williams finished unbeaten on 75, while Ben Francis (56) also hit a half-century. James Meggitt took 3-44.
However, the game was abandoned due to rain without the hosts facing a delivery in reply.
The weather decimated the Premier programme, although there was a result in Division Two where Penarth were winners by 118-runs at Newport Fugitives.
An unbeaten 102 from Richard Skone and 100 from skipper Tom Sidford helped Penarth to 279-8.
The Fugies were then given a revised target of 245 off 38 overs, but were all out for 126 in reply. Jack Thorpe-Yon was their top scorer with 27, but 4-18 from Ryan Sylvester and 3-39 from Morgan Humphreys ensured Penarth were victorious.
The match between those two clubs’ second-string sides also produced a result in the East 2nd XI Division with Penarth winners by seven wickets in a reduced-overs contest.
After the being put in, the Fugies reached 175-7 off 44 overs, with Nigel Price top scoring with 35, while Morgan Crimp and Tim Miller both bagged a couple of wickets.
Penarth’s run chase was then led by Greg Cross (50no), who registered his maiden half-century to help his side knock off the runs required in 31 overs.