BOTTOM-of- the-table Abergavenny travelled to second-placed Cardiff on Saturday and gave them a huge fright, with a magnificent century from player-coach Mujahid Ilyas before the hosts scrambled a last-over win with a wicket to spare.

Ilyas rescued the Aber innings scoring a round 100 alongside David Clarke, taking them from 87-8 to 184 all out with a ninth-wicket partnership of 83 runs.

Having been inserted by Cardiff, Abergavenny found it very difficult, and at one point scoring a hundred looked unattainable at 51-7 around the halfway stage,

But Mujahid had other ideas, and along with Joe Harris (10) and Clarke (32), in his first innings for the 1sts in over a year, another 130 runs were added.

Ilyas used his cricketing brain and carved out an innings of high skill with nine fours and four sixes very well supported by Clarke, who himself hit two sixes and two fours.

A good start when bowling was essential, and first ball saw a catch go down off the bowling of Josh Spies.

But the second over from off-spinner Owen Harris saw two wickets, the first one stumped by his brother Joe Harris, the second dismissing Cardiff’s star batter, Old Monmothian Henry Hurle, for a golden duck (5-2).

This became 80-5 as Abergavenny relied on spin plus overseas quickie Josh Spies.

A 70-run partnership for the sixth wicket then looked like tipping the scales in favour of Cardiff.

However skipper Sam Clarke in his second spell weaved his magic, taking three quick wickets to leave Cardiff 160-8 still needing 25 runs to win.

He finished with another four-wicket haul (4-31) before Ilyas then took the ninth and his third wicket (175-9) to post 3-54 .

But in a nail-biting finish, Cardiff then scrambled home with two balls left to win by one wicket (185-9).

The 2nds continued their unbeaten South East Wales 4 run after inserting visitors Whitchurch-Heath 2nds and restricting them to 156-9 in 40 overs.

The wickets were shared by Dylan Beaumont-Welsh (1-22), Nathan Byrne (2-37), Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy (2-29), Evan Jones (2-23), and Ryan Watkins (2-16) playing in the 2nds alongside son Charlie.

Skipper Ed Woolcott for once didn’t trouble the scorers, and his top order didn’t fare much better as they were reduced to 53-5.

But a 58-run partnership between Watkins and Jones for the sixth wicket got them back on track, with the former firing an unbeaten 42 and the latter 37, while young Charlie Watkins scored 14 not out to see them to 157-6 in 34.3 overs alongside his dad.

In SEW 10, the 3rds had a really good win at home to Abertillery 1sts after setting a target of 295-5 off 40 overs.

The top six batters enjoyed themselves, Archie Eccles firing 79 off 61 balls, Will Jones 63, Neil Francis 44 not out, Mihla Sibanda 44, Steve Brown 31 and Rhys Williams 19.

Abertillery put on 57 for the first wicket in reply, but lost two further quick wickets to be 74-3.

A 57-run partnership steadied the ship but good bowling saw them reduced from 142-4 to 190 all out, Brown the main destroyer with 4-34 supported by Marc Morgan (2-38) and a wicket each for Francis, Price and Heffaran.

Abergavenny 4ths feared the worst when they succumbed to 130-8 in their 40 overs in SEW 13 away to Whitchurch-Heath 4ths.

Only Ben Pike with 25, skipper Barry French 29 not out and Sashank Chavali 15 reached double figures.

But Oliver Hobbs who took 3-8-8, Owain Bradley 3-29-8, Chavali 2-26-8, Elis Jones 1-22 and Kai Witcomb 1-13 then shot Whitchurch out for 101 in 32 overs to win by 29 runs.

Fixtures this Saturday (June 20) include – Abergavenny 1sts v St Fagans 1sts, Pentyrch 2nds v Abergavenny 2nds, Pontymister & Crosskeys 2nds v Abergavenny 3rds, Abergavenny 4ths v Blaina 2nds (Crickhowell).