MONKSWOOD won at Hopkinstown to take over at the top of Division One of the Thomas, Carroll Welsh Club Cricket Confer-ence.

Monkswood batted first and reached 231-7, with Jamie Weller scoring 57 and Rhys Phillips taking 3-54 for the leaders.

Rhys Weekes (53) led Hopkinstown to the brink of victory but Weller took 4-37 to help get them all out just five runs short.

Barry Wanderers defeated Cardiff III so Cross Keys moved up to third place after accounting for Abercynon.

Ashley Willis made 55 and Richard Gibby 54 as Abercynon reached 239-8 with James Baker taking 2-38 for Keys and Chris Jones 2-48.

Baker’s father, Mark, then scored 55 and Lawrence Gruijters 53 as Keys replied with 242-4. David Williams took 2-37 for Abercynon.

Pentwyn dismissed visitors St Fagans III for 124, in which Charlie Maynard managed 41 as Josh Harris took 5-36 in 10 overs and Lee Jones 3-39 off 10.

Chris Wall (22) was the pick as Pentwyn got the runs for six wickets with Tom Sield getting 4-46 for the Saints.

Pontnewynydd went in first at home to Abertillery and reached 184-6 with Martin Rogers getting 37 not out, Owsen Price 33, Geraint Jones 29 and Dan Matthews 21 not out. Gareth Trapnell took 2-34 off 10 overs for Abertillery.

Abertillery then collapsed to 74 all out as Joe Matthews took 3-4 off 3.4 overs, Price 3-18 from 10, John Lamb 3-28 off 10 and Jones 1-13 off five.

Mark Evans blasted a marvellous 130 not out, Chris Hartland a fine 117 and Chris Lewis 49 as Brynmawr amassed 371-3 at home to Upper Rhondda in Division Two.

Upper Rhondda managed 172 all out with Daniel Roberts and Craig Pritchard both scoring 30, while Rob Lewis took 3-40 from 10 overs for Brynmawr.

Another batsman in fine form was Seth Veall, who scored a brilliant 132 in Crumlin’s 249 all out at home to Tredegar.

Chris Hopkins made 30 and Ron Jolliffe 24 in support, while Viv Richards took 3-59 from 10 overs for Tredegar, Ian Pembrey 2-24 and Roy Jenkins 2-71.

Jenkins scored 51 and Tom Morris 21 not out but Tredegar collapsed to 146 all out as Jacob Evans took 3-18, Dafydd Ap Evans 3-44, Jolliffe 2-30 and Hopkins 1-28.

Blaina batted first at Penarth III and reached 148 all out. Ross Watts scored 32 and Steve Matthews 18, while Zeeshan Aslam had 10-4-17-2 for Penarth III.

Conrad Adams (35) and Huw Morgan (26) did well but Penarth III reached 133-9 and looked beaten. But last pair Robert Crimp (8no) and Saajan Ali (5no) managed to get them home by one wicket in a dramatic finale.

Darrel Davies returned 10-4-21-3 for Blaina and Adam Lane 10-0-30-4.

Maesycwmmer just held off Cardiff IV in Division Three, Undy & Magor lost to Welsh Asians III and Newport III lost at home to Radyr III.

Joe Thompson (39) and David Crook (27) were the best batsmen for Newport III in a score of 144 all out in 42 overs. Steve Bradley took 4-29 in 10 overs for Radyr III and Gwyn Morris 4-34 off eight.

Ceiri Rowlands (28), Simon Walters (25) and Morris (22no) then led Radyr III to a five-wicket victory. Fifteen-year-old Ian Brook took 2-24 off 6.3 overs for Newport III and another 15-year-old, Nathan Bailey, 2-29 off 10.

Ex-Newport star Dave Lomax scored 129 and Mark Baxter 48 as Llanarth reached 262-6 at Ton Pentre. Steve Hughes took 3-52 for Ton and Callum Hopkins 2-61.

Andrew Davies (32) and Craig Hughes (22no) were the best as Ton Pentre slumped to 120 all out, with Raj Banaras getting 3-30 for Llanarth and Chris Powell 3-38.

In Division Four, Aber-cynon II lost heavily to Porth, Christchurch beat Coedely CWCI and Monkswood II overcame Chepstow III.

Chepstow III were bowled out for 117, with Ricky Sahabdeen getting 23 and Owen Harris 22 not out. Dan Pilley took 4-37 for Monkswood II and Kevin Brooks 2-21.

Monkswood lost an early wicket but John Jenkins (78no) and Pilley (28no) then saw them home by nine wickets Second-placed Abertillery II defeated Hopkinstown II in Division Five after scoring 196-3 in their 45 overs. Andy Humphries scored 52, Chris Lewis 44 and Dafydd Myson 40 not out.

Mark Sweeney managed 40 and Huw Thomas 26 but Hopkinstown were dismissed for 136.

Steve Davies was chief destroyer with 6-16, which included a hat trick, while John Davies lent support with 3-15 off 10 overs.

Croesyceiliog III got St Fagans IV all out for 75 with Rob King (14no) top-scoring as Martin Lowe took 3-1, Mike Edwards 3-10 and Sam Edmonds 2-10.

Tom Harris got 16, leaving Lloyd Murphy (15no) and Mike Edwards (11no) to lead Croesy III home by six wickets. Umer Rashid had 2-22 for the Saints.

In other matches, Tredegar II were well beaten by Merthyr III.

Division Six table-toppers Newport IV strengthened their grip with an eight-wicket win over Abercynon II.

Robbie Savage got 40 and Dave Kew 21 as Abercynon II were bowled out for 98 in 32 overs. Alex Davies took 3-12, Aqeel Iqbal 3-18 and Dan Watkins 2-14.

Umer Fawad got 34 and Graeme Hughes 26 not out as Newport IV cruised home with Kew taking 2-37 for Abercynon II.

In other matches,Pentwyn II came up short against Lisvane IV.

Yacoub Maskeen scored a superb 105 not out and Gary Morgan 32 as Lisvane IV posted 236-6, with Mike Daniels getting 10-0-25-2 for Pentwyn.

Richard White scored a fine 93 and Daniels 25 in the Pentwyn II innings but Maskeen took 6-0-17-3 and Mike Caplan 10-2-30-3 to get them out for 183.

Cefn Fforest II went in first at Blaina II in Division Seven and set a target of 188 all out. Opener Huw Davies made a cracking 110 as Nic Williams took 3-32 and Ken Palmer 3-41. Daniel Wall then scored a marvellous 107 not out and Miles Williams 34 as the leaders got the runs for three wickets. Andrew Lewis took 3-46 for Fforest.

Christchurch II beat Aberdare IV and Radyr IV easily overcame Crumlin II.

Trevor Thompson scored 42 and Geraint Thomas 21 in Radyr IV’s 130 all out with Lee Parker taking 4-32 for second-placed Crumlin II and Richard Evans 2-25.

Crumlin II’s batting failed and they were bowled out for just 54 as Neil Clode took 5-26, Dave Evans 2-7 and Wales Under-13 star Dan Rogers 2-12.

In Division Eight, Monkswood III got Cross Keys II out for 62, in which skipper Steve Gregory got the top score of 21. David Weller had 10-2-21-6 for Monkswood III and Simon Bradley 3-2.

It looked a stroll in the park for Monkswood III but they were soon in trouble as Gregory took 9.4-3-17-3 and Geraint Morgan 3-18 off six overs.

Weller (18no) was Monkswood III’s hero as he was dropped off the ball before he hit the winning boundary.

Caerphilly & Bedwas were crushed by leaders Sully Spartans and Panteg IV defeated Mountain Ash II.

Steve Griffiths scored 80 and Luke Loder 41 as Panteg IV reached 304-5 before declaring. David Davies took 2-37 off 10 overs for the Old Firm.