NEWPORT overcame Pentyrch at Spytty Park in the Premier Division of the Thomas, Carroll South Wales Cricket League to maintain their hold on second place in the table.

Pentyrch decided to bat first, but against some tight bowling and good fielding could only manage to reach 167-9. Alex Wharf was top scorer with 59 and Ali Najmi made 27, while for Newport, Michael Clayden took 3-22 and Imran Hassan 2-43.

Clayden (29) and Gary Wood (36) set Newport on the road to victory and captain Nathan Millichip (51 n.o) hit the winning six which also brought up his half-century. Peter Grossett was the pick of the Pentyrch attack with 2-45.

Leaders Cardiff, however, were comfortable winners against Croesyceiliog at the Diamond Ground and stay top of the table.

Croesyceiliog opted to go in first and scored 225-8 with Will Bragg getting 64 and John Jones 43. Andrew Thomas took 3-26 for Cardiff and Paul Carter 2-29.

The in-form Mike O’Shea destroyed the Croesy attack with a brilliant 129 not out, and with Iwan Jenkins (70) steered Cardiff to a nine-wicket win.

Blackwood’s game against Sully was cancelled and the shock of the day came at Avenue Road where bottom club Abergavenny put visitors St Fagans in to bat and then bowled them out for 143.

Tom Maynard got 30 as Andrew Coles took 4-32, John Denning 4-41 and Chris Hartland 2-25.

Andrew Jones set Abergavenny on the road to victory with 25, James Schofield got 43 and Craig Barnsley led them to a five-wicket win with an unbeaten 28. Scott Edmed took 3-30 for the Saints.

It wasn’t a good day for sides batting first and Penarth continued the trend as they were dismissed for 153 by visitors Sudbrook, who are making a strong bid for a top- five place which will take them into the new merged league with the South Wales Cricket Association next season.

Tom Sidford scored 62 and James Docherty 40 as John Lewis took 5-23 for Sudbrook and Julian Lane 3-42.

Sudbrook lost one early wicket before Ross Lewis (86 n.o) and John Lewis (49 n.o) took them home by nine wickets.

Usk bucked the going-in-first trend at home to Tondu by scoring 191-6, with Huw Waters making 49, Mark Tamplin 46 and Matt Birrell 34. Liam Woolls had 9-1-33-4 for the Waterwheelers.

Alex Jones was the backbone of the Tondu innings with 57, but the Usk bowlers were always in charge and got them all out for 140.

Mike Read returned 8-2-26-2, Vinnie Kay 10-1-27-2, Tom Robinson 5-1-29-2 and Ollie James had 2-24 off 7.2 overs.

Division One leaders Bridgend Town are the only first eleven in the league with an unbeaten record and they maintained that with a four-wicket victory over Miskin Manor at Newbridge Fields.

Second-placed Chepstow had an easier-than-expected victory over Malpas at Bettws Lane and remain the nearest challengers to Bridgend Town.

Malpas were put in and scored 160 all out with Gary Poyner (39), Paul Evans (30) and Micky Martin (21) their best batsmen as Jason Dobbie took 3-34 for Chepstow, Malith Madurasinghe 2-4 off four overs and Glen Eglington 2-25.

Carwyn James (26), Mark Guest (29) and Zac Watson (31) paved the way for a Chepstow victory and Madurasinghe finished it off with 31 not out. Neil Smith took 2-27 for Malpas.

Malpas have now slipped out of the battle for a top-three place which will mean promotion to the revamped top division of the league next season because the third spot looks like going to Panteg.

They entertained struggling Newport Fugitives and dismissed them for just 88.

Mohammed Ali Bukari took 3-18 off eight overs for Panteg, John Glover 2-10 off six, Chris White 2-11 off 5.5, Glamorgan’s David Harrison 2-22 off eight and skipper Ian Bird had the other wicket in his 1-8 off five overs.

Bird (51 n.o) and fellow opener Barnaby Worrad (25 n.o) needed only 16 overs to give Panteg a second successive 10-wicket win.

Radyr defeated visitors Brecon by 19 runs and Rogerstone’s recovery proved short lived as they lost heavily to Pontypridd at Ynysangharad Park.

Dale Williams scored 49, Gethin Smart 41 and Martin Oliver 26 not out as Ponty posted 193-9 with Mo Asif taking 3-30 off 10 overs for Rogerstone.

Asif was then top scorer for Rogerstone with just 14 as they slumped to 71 all out, Tom Vaal taking 3-9 off eight overs for Pontypridd.

Ebbw Vale beat Barry by 136 runs to move above Hoovers into second place in Division Two. Hoovers’ game against Creigiau was a victim of the weather.

Vale beat Ton Pentre & Porth in a low-scoring match at Corntown and Machen came a cropper against Cardiff Gymkhana at Llanrumney.

Abbas Ashraf scored 86, Abdullah Jaura 48 and Sandeepan Chanda 38 as the Gymkhana made 279-8 going in first. Gareth Hibbs took 5-79 for Machen and Mike Fussell 2-44.

Hibbs defied the Gymkhana attack to make the top score of 51 when Machen went in, but pace bowler Abdullah Jaura took 6-41 and Usman Jaura 2-48 to get Machen all out for 104 in 30 overs.

Bottom side Ponthir lost to leaders Welsh Asians at Llandaff in a game reduced to 46 overs.

Batting first, the Asians racked up an impressive 295-7, with Naeem Khan scoring a fine 96, Khalid Idris 48, Sohail Rauf 34 and Abid Khan 29. Mike Holcombe took 4-108 off his 14 overs for Ponthir and Mark Crook 2-76 off 14.

Ponthir went for the runs with David Wilson making 65, Jack Norman 40 and Holcombe 23 but they found the spin of Abid Khan (7-53 off 14 overs) too tricky and Iftikhar Arif had 2-6 as they were bowled out for 205.