ABERGAVENNY recorded their first league win of the season with an excellent win at Pontypridd.

After winning the toss, Abergavenny asked Pontypridd to bat first on what was a good wicket but which they hoped would offer some early assistance to the bowlers after the overnight rain.

Ali Bukhari struck in the third over, having Williams caught behind by Lewis Holley for just two. Thereafter, although the initial new ball spells from Bukhari and from Lewis Parfitt were testing, they could make no further headway, and let their control slip.

A couple of catches were dropped, and as the bowlers sent down too many bad balls, Collins and Jonny Hughes took the score to 72-1 in the 19th over before Tamoor Zafar eventually removed Collins for 40.

The Hughes brothers continued to run Aber ragged for a time and looked set to lead the hosts to a sizeable total. Gavin Heritage returned to the attack to have Jonny Hughes removed for 42 thanks to a superb catch by Will Ford.

A brisk fourth wicket partnership between Gareth Hughes and Waughington took the score to 154-3 in the 32nd over before Ford removed Waughington.

From this point the innings unravelled for the home team as Ford, Zafar, Bukhari and Asim Gillani applied much greater pressure on the lower order, and instead of posting in excess of 240 which had seemed likely, they were all out for just 198, Zafar taking 3-24, in addition to two run-outs.

Openers Heritage and James Schofield got the reply off to a blistering start, taking 41 off the first seven overs, and it was a big surprise to see Heritage fall, caught behind for an excellent 19 that hinted that he is in good form.

Richie Roberts began brightly but let his impatience get the better of him as he was stumped with the score on 59. Bukhari and Schofield put together a third wicket partnership of 36 in eight overs to leave the score on 97-3 when Bukhari was caught at long on for a quickfire 27. Zafar joined forces with Schofield and again demonstrated his class as together they took the score to 179-3 in the 36th over. With just 20 runs needed for victory, Schofield was caught behind for 73, leaving Zafar to record his maiden fifty for the club, finishing on 56 not out, as Parfitt (11 not out) ended the game in style with a boundary over the top.

In general, an excellent performance from Abergavenny, who despite the middle twenty overs of their bowling stint, did exceptionally well to restrict Pontypridd to under 200 as their batsmen showed how good the pitch was. They will travel to Chepstow in good heart as they look to gain some winning momentum ahead of the return of some key players later in the month.