NEWPORT closed the gap on the leaders of the Swalec Premier League with a convincing victory at Port Talbot Town on a glorious day when runs flowed and eastern clubs got the better of those from the West.

Port Talbot Town elected to bat first and scored 230-7 with Dean Cox making 50 and Chris Allen 38.

Ryan Aingworth took 3-33 for Newport and Imran Hassan 2-48.

Captain Michael Clayden and Gary Wood opened the Newport innings and put on 194, with Clayden finishing on a superb 109 and Wood getting 78.

Newport won by eight wickets, while Lewis Jones and former Glamorgan and Newport player Ian Thomas both took a wicket apiece.

Second-placed Pontarddulais were at Usk and they also decided to have first knock.

Captain Gary Arrowsmith held the innings together with a battling 57, while Daniel Roberts got 29 and Matthew Carey 24 as Bont closed on 189-9. Neil Perrett took 3-56 for Usk off 12 overs and Travis Townsend 2-29 off 12.

It looked like the visitors might take the spoils as Usk were 84-5 at one stage but Townsend (76 n.o) and Tom Baker (52 n.o) put on a match- winning 107 for the sixth wicket.

Jamie Williams took 3-29 off eight overs for Pontarddulais.

In other matches, St Fagans surprised Ammanford, leaders Sully chased down 327 to beat Swansea and Cardiff had much the better of a drawn game at Ynysygerwn.

Glorious weather greeted the halfway mark of the season in the Thomas, Carroll Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Cricket League and Sudbrook remained at the top of Division One after a comfortable victory over Tondu at the Deepweir.

Sudbrook opted to go in first and reached 254-9 off their 50 overs, with Matthew Kinchin getting 58, Mark O’Leary 48, Matthew Spencer 38 and John Lewis 34. Nathan Skoines took 3-43 for the Waterwheelers and veteran Clive Holmes 2-62.

Tondu were never in the hunt to get the runs, although Ryan Owen (52) and Holmes (25) offered stern resistance until they were bowled out for 125 in 35.5 overs.

Dean Wallace took 4-22 off 6.5 overs for Sudbrook and Martin Norton 3-9 off six.

Chepstow entertained second- placed Bridgend Town and were inserted by the visitors.

Only Malith Madurasinghe (83) made much impression as Chepstow reached 190-9 off their 50 overs. Adam Weaver took 3-41 off 10 overs for Bridgend and Darren Lingley 2-32 off 10.

Opener Grant Humphries anchored the Bridgend reply with a fine 91, and with player/coach Mike Jones making 36 and James Steptoe 28, Bridgend got the runs in 42 overs for the loss of five wickets. Luke Sellers took 2-30 off 10 overs for Chepstow.

Blackwood batted first at Panteg and made 261-7, in which Robert Birch scored 85 and Matt Evans 48. Lewis Parfitt took 3-57 for Panteg.

For once, Panteg’s batting failed and they just managed to hold on for a draw at 189-8. Mohammed Ali Bukari made the only real contribution with 70 and Will Ford took 2-41 for Blackwood.

Abergavenny moved over Chepstow into third place in the table after they won by seven wickets at bottom club Penarth.

Penarth made 220 all out, in which Sam Docherty scored 66, Azim Gillani 32 and Mark Thomas 31.

Ryan Watkins took 3-18 off eight overs for Abergavenny, Nathan Byrne 2-28 off 4.4 and Mike Baillon 2-48 off 10 overs.

Watkins made 38 when Abergavenny went in but it was Greg Fury who hammered a magnificent 161 not out to win the game.

Croesyceiliog batted first at Pentyrch but struggled to 170 all out in 45 overs. Lee Evans scored 59 and Richard Dunn 28, while Connor Miles (19) and Ieuan Wakefield (17 n.o) chipped in.

Peter Grossett returned 10-3-28-4 for Pentyrch and Brad Wadlan 2-23.

Pentyrch were in a hurry as they recovered from 15-2 to get the runs in just 28 overs for the loss of five wickets. Adnan Ghori made 40, Ali Najmi 38 and Gareth Gardener was 54 not out at the close.

The Division One title race was thrown wide open as leaders Rogerstone and second-placed Malpas both lost.

Radyr made 291-4 at home to Rogerstone, with Mohsin Arif making 81, Jonathan Wilson 72 not out and Dave Skirrow 59. Mo Asif took 2-33 for Rogerstone.

Andy Harris (71) battled hard with support from Asif (29) but Nick O’Neill took 4-52 and John Corden 2-56 to relieve Rogerstone of their unbeaten record.

At Bettws Lane, Malpas opted to bat against Ebbw Vale but could only manage 180 all out in 49 overs, well below their normal scoring rate.

Mark Collins scored 44, while Darryl Croft took 3-25 for Ebbw Vale and Ben Slade 2-18.

Ebbw Vale slipped to 63-3 but Jamie Nancarrow (59 n.o) and Darrel Blake (44 n.o) added a match-winning 118 for the fourth wicket with Ebbw Vale getting the runs in 30 overs.

Glyn Harrhy made a magnificent 150 not out as Brecon went in first at Hoovers. John Kenchington departed for 45 and his brother Steve supported Harrhy with a fine 61 not out as Brecon closed on 287-4.

Andrew Evans (37) and Matthew Veal (33) tried their best but Hoovers could only reach 176-9. Mark Williams took 3-28 for Brecon.

Creigiau scored 236-9 at Miskin Manor, with captain Tom Lloyd getting 77 and Martin Powell 68, while 16-year-old Welsh Under-16 international Jonathan Edwards took 6-44 for Miskin Manor, who got the runs for seven wickets.

Newport Fugitives set a target of 271-4 against Pontypridd at High Cross, with Richard Jones making a marvellous 118 not out which included three sixes and nine fours.

Phil Meredith and James Didcote both scored 38 and Matt Evans 27, while Andrew Collins took 2-36 for Ponty.

But with shortish boundaries and a lightning-fast outfield, Ponty got the runs in 46.4 overs after recovering from a poor start.

Ryan J Williams blasted four sixes and 12 fours in a superb 120, and Gareth Hughes got 93 with 15 fours as the pair added 207 for the fourth wicket in 115 minutes. Roy Emmett took 2-41 for the Fugitives and Didcote 2-58.

In Division Three, Lisvane beat bottom side Llantwit Fardre and Ponthir scored 295-2 in 46 overs to win at Machen. In other games in the division, second placed Vale just held off Welsh Asians by four runs and Cardiff Gymkhana easily overcame Upper Rhondda on their own ground.