MEMBERS of the Usk team may not have any fingernails left once they have played three days of nerve-jangling cricket.

Tonight they take on Newport in the Macey Shield final at Croesyceiliog (5.30pm start) and on Sunday they take part in the Swalec Twenty20 Finals day in Cardiff.

But a clash against Gwent rivals and a day out at the Swalec Stadium, with a daunting semi-final against in-form Sully first up, are not top of their list of priorities.

It is a Swalec Premier League relegation battle with St Fagans at Crofft-y-Genau Road that has the full attention of bottom-placed Usk.

Tomorrow’s hosts are also in the relegation zone and the side that loses will struggle to reel in Swansea.

“It’s a big weekend that will probably define our season,” said Usk captain Tom Robinson.

“It is make or break for us and the St Fagans game is the priority, winning any other games would be a bonus. Winning a tournament would mean very little if we went down.

“It might be a cliché but we have three cup finals because whoever loses tomorrow will go down.”

They head to St Fagans on the back of a home defeat to Port Talbot last week.

Usk were inserted and had to battle to 173-7 from their 50 overs with Travis Townsend again starring with the bat with a patient 59 from 128 balls.

They managed to get the visitors eight down but Port Talbot inched over the line to leave them with a six-point haul.

“So much hinged on the toss last weekend and when you are down you don’t seem to get the luck,” he said.

“I would have backed Huw Waters and Mike Reed to cause them all manner of problems if we had bowled first but it wasn’t to be.”

Waters is on Glamorgan duty against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham this weekend but Usk are otherwise as strong as they can be, though injuries are still causing problems.

“I’ve never known a season like it,” said Robinson. “It has been more like a queue in the waiting room than a batting order.”

Newport have are well away from the worries at the basement and hope to consolidate their second place in the Premier League table when they host Pontarddulais tomorrow.

They hope to do so after lifting the Macey Shield and will be looking to repeat last week’s efforts when they beat Cardiff at Spytty.

Newport were put in to bat and scored 181-9 before skittling the visitors for 108.

“We just want to win every game, push every team we face and see where we end up,” said captain Michael Clayden.

“We played really well last week after being stuck in to bat. We probably should have scored even more but we got early wickets and put in a really good performance with the ball.

“We will need to be as good this weekend because they will probably have Robert Croft and they are a top team that pushed Sully hard for a lot of the season.”