NEWPORT coach Mike Knight has insisted that not securing an outright win at rivals Cardiff last weekend wasn’t a chance missed in the race for the South Wales Premier Cricket League title.

Last man James Lewis survived the final three deliveries of Cardiff’s innings to ensure the capital outfit are in pole position to claim the championship with just one round of the season left.

Division One leaders Cardiff, away to Penarth this Saturday, hold a five-point advantage over reigning champions Newport, who go to Ynysygerwn.

Knight and his Newport players will be hoping already-relegated Penarth can finish with a flourish and dent Cardiff’s hopes of lifting the league trophy.

Reflecting on last Saturday’s winning draw at Forest Farm, Knight said: “At one stage it looked like we would set a really big total but then collapsed, and then they started well with the bat before collapsing.

“The pitch was turning so we got all our spinners on and Imran Hassan, who hadn’t bowled in three years, had the ball for the last over.

“Imran got the penultimate wicket and then had three balls at last man James Lewis with everyone around the bat.

“He played forward to the fourth delivery and got an edge to it, the ball went towards short square leg but it was a very difficult chance and he survived.

“That one wicket would have given us an extra five points and we would have been going into the last match leading the division.”

Knight, whose side had made 200 batting first before Cardiff finished on 152-9, added: “I don’t think it was a chance missed because we have done well to cut a 34-point lead to five with a game to go.

“We look at it as having a chance to win the league when we didn’t think that was possible.

“At least we’ve given ourselves a chance, and we couldn’t have asked for much more than that having lost four games to the weather.

“We’re hoping Penarth can help us out on Saturday but we know we have to beat Ynysygerwn first.

“Local rivalry is at stake in Penarth and there is no pressure on the hosts as they are already relegated.”

Newport and Cardiff held a minute's silence prior to last Saturday's match in memory of late Glamorgan legend Don Shepherd, who passed away at the age of 90 the day before.