Semi Finals

Quarter Finals

The quarter-finals have now been completed for all three age groups. At Under 11, Ponthir bowled Pentwyn out for 63 with Josh Kunz taking three wickets in an over. An fine opening partnership between Tom Simkiss (20no) and Marc McKay (26) saw Ponthir through to a nine-wicket win. They go on to meet Malpas who beat Sudbrook by the same margin. Sudbrook scored 100 for 5, with Elliot Thomas making 23, but a 76-run partnership between Scott Archer (34no) and Ryan Ward (27) ensured this total was passed comfortably. In the bottom half of the draw, Abercarn restricted Croesyceiliog to 93 for 3 with Ryan Avery (35no) and Josh Waters (27) leading the way. Despite B Murphy’s 22, Abercarn finished 12 runs short for the loss of 7 wickets. Croesyceiliog’s opponents in the semi-final will be Newport who had an emphatic win over Ebbw Vale. Ten-year old Robbie Clarke made a remarkable 112no, his maiden century, and, with Krishnan Hariharan on 38no, led Newport to a total of 182 for 2. This was too much for Ebbw Vale who finished on 40 for 9.

At Under 13, Dan Lezar hit a fine 81no to help Newport to 160 for 5. Monkswood couldn’t come to terms with the bowling of Darnell Taylor-wood and Amir Mian, who both took three wickets apiece, and went down to a 92-run defeat. This sets up a tie with Croesyceiliog for whom Will Davey (56no) and Luc Kear (34no) shared in a 108-run partnership to take them to 111 for 1. In reply, Newbridge finished on 47 for 9 with Luc Kear and James Scarborough taking two wickets apiece; James was also involved in two run-outs. In the bottom-half of the draw, Lisvane finished on 92 for 7 with J Thomas taking three wickets for Ponthir. In reply, Ponthir came up just four runs short. Their next opponents will be Llanarth, for whom Jamie Norman (64) and Richard Roberts (52) were both retired as Llanarth totalled 219 for 2. Abergavenny finished on 92 for 7 despite Tom Keane’s battling unbeaten 50.

At Under 15, Callum Reid scored a remarkable 136no and with Lewis Pheasant (39no) led Croesyceiliog to 207 for 1. Panteg finished on 108 for 7 with Josh Harris making 32 and Lewis Jones taking 4 wickets for 10 runs in 3 overs. This set up a semi-final with Ebbw Vale for whom Robson Blake scored an equally impressive 131no and with Tom Williams (46) saw his team make 215 for 2. Rogerstone’s T Berry (65no) and L Ingham (51no) did their best but the team ended up on 154 for 2. Tom Smith with 67no and Joe Bird’s 43 saw Chepstow reach 137 for 2, a total which proved too much for Sudbrook who could only muster 85 for 7. They go on to meet Lisvane who amassed 165 for 1 thanks to T Morgan’s unbeaten 84. N Fowler then took 5 wickets for nine runs to help reduce Crumlin to 40 for 9.

Preliminary and First Rounds

Thanks to a fairly dry May, the Preliminary and First Round ties have been almost all completed. This is a knockout competition played at Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 levels to the normal twenty-over rules with all three finals to be played at Usk CC on September 5th.

At Under 11, in the Preliminary Round, Tom Simkiss (Ponthir) carried his bat for 22no in his side’s total of 121 for 6. In reply, Monkswood’s opener, Matthew Hancock, just failed to repeat the feat by getting out in the last over as his team posted 76 for 5. Abergavenny totalled 89 for 5 with Tristan Astley-Jones making 51 but Croesyceiliog passed this score for the loss of one wicket thanks to Ellis Pheasant (37) and Ryan Avery (26no). Newbridge had a similar nine-wicket victory over Machen.

In the First Round, Pentwyn's 78 for 3 was too good for Panteg who finished on 44 for 8.  Chepstow made 70 for 7 with the Malpas keeper, Cameron Ford, being involved in a stumping and two run-outs. Malpas reached this total without loss with Ryan Ward making 41no. Sudbrook, meanwhile, made 118 for 5 with Ben Supple scoring 42. For Llanarth, Max Norman took 3 for 13 but his team finished 28 runs short on 90 for 6. Blackwood made 78 for 5 but were beaten by Abercarn by five wickets and Usk’s 94 for 2 (Harry Morris 21no) was not good enough to beat Ebbw Vale, who also had a five-wicket win. Finally, Newport scored an impressive 143 for 2 with Robbie Clarke and Sam Hope-Bell both scoring their maiden fifties in a century partnership. This was too much for Newbridge who could only reach 62 for 5.

At Under 13, in the Preliminary Round, Ryan Murphy-Sharpe (42) helped Ebbw Vale to 123 for 5. In reply, Nathan Davies (43) and Richard Miles (36) enabled Brynmawr to win by seven wickets despite Zac Agnew taking all three wickets for just five runs. H Jones scored 30 in Usk’s 78 for 7 but Jake Watkins led Newbridge to a nine-wicket victory with 42no.

In the First Round, Richard Miles (39) again contributed for Brynmawr’s 117 for 4 but this was not enough to reach Newport’s 164 for 2 which included fifties from Matt Jones and Nathan Hariharan. Monkswood amassed 170 for 6 thanks mainly to Ben Brooks with 89; Sam Haley took 3-26 for Machen who made a creditable 132 for 6 with Roy Furnival making 31. Croesyceiliog posted 117 for 2 and then bowled out Abercarn for 47. Player of the match was Luc Kear who scored 52no and took four wickets in four balls! Adam Laasna also contributed 30. Newbridge continued their winning ways by scoring 130 for 3 and then reducing Sudbrook to 64 for 8. The main contributors were Ben Wellington (44), Jake Watkins (35) and Elliot Jenkins (3 for 2). Llanarth were too good for Newport Fugitives scoring 167 for 4 with Jamie Norman (33no) and Matt Doyle (41no) leading them to an 85-run victory. Abergavenny's 109 for 5, with Tom Keane scoring 41, was too much for Rogerstone who finished on 56 for 5. The match of the round was between Chepstow and Ponthir where the match ended in a tie. Lewis Johnson (60no) and Matt Jones (37) led Ponthir to 141 for 3. Tom Bevington (52) and Benedict Tindall (47) helped take Chepstow to the same score, with Loui O’Brien taking 3 for 21, but, crucially, Ponthir had lost less wickets so won the game.

At Under 15, in the Preliminary Round, Newbridge overcame Brynmawr’s 75 for 6 for the loss of four wickets with Tom Kinsey making 37no. Rogerstone totalled 138 for 9 with Liam Greening (31) and Alex Price (31no) but, despite Dan Cooke’s 46, Abergavenny finished 18 runs short on 121 for 4. Ponthir, meanwhile, made 124 for 3 thanks to Jarrod Bluck (67no) and Aled Burkitt (34) but Tom Morgan (62no) and Tariq Ikram (55no) saw Lisvane through to a ten-wicket win.

In the First Round, Croesyceiliog totalled 130 for 5 thanks to a fine 72no by Callum Reid supported by Lauren Parfitt with 27no and then restricted Newbridge to 85 for 4. Blackwood could only make 69 for 6, a target Ebbw Vale didn’t take long to reach thanks to Robson Blake scoring 57 from 20 balls! Rogerstone scored 135 for 8 with J Harris making 30. Deri Roberts produced an exceptional spell of bowling for Abercarn, taking 5 for 28 in his four overs with Todd James taking 3 for 15. Despite Kurt Smith (35) and Garin Trubey (27) putting on a fifty-partnership, Abercarn cme up 20 runs short on 115 for 5. Chepstow’s bowlers, Tyler Morgan-Huggett and Will Durbin, took three wickets apiece to restrict Machen to 72 for 8 and their batters ensured an eight-wicket victory. Finally, Newport, for whom Louis Tovey top scored with 56, were bowled out for 119 in reply to Lisvane’s score of 143 for 5 during which Sam Williams made 47.