RYAN Avery cracked 114 off 108 balls as Abergavenny CC secured a high-scoring four-wicket friendly win over Cardiff Metropolitan University at Avenue Road on Saturday.

Met won the toss and elected to bat, with opener James Gau and third man Guy Moore putting on 164 for the second wicket before the former was stumped for 103 by William Eccles off the bowling of Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy (191-2).

Moore cracked 100 before retiring not out, before the students finished on 316-7 off their 50 overs, Mujeid Ilyas and Dylan Beaumont-Welsh each taking two wickets apiece.

In reply, Avery found useful support in Baljeevan Khalsa (23) and Lloyd Sharp (17) to take the score to 105-2, before a fourth wicket stand of 102 with Ilyas took the total to 226, when the opener fell to a catch having plundered a six and 16 fours.

Ilyas went on to make 62 off 67 balls, including seven fours, before skipper Sam Clarke (29 not out) and David Clarke (23 not out) guided Abergavenny to 318-6 with 4.1 overs to spare.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Cameron Hemp cracked 109 off 90 balls for Usk away to Penarth, including 16 fours and three sixes, as they set a target of 263-8 off 50 overs.

No one else was able to find a big score to boost the target though, with the best of the rest Tamoor Zafar with 27 and Matthew Williams with 21.

And the seasiders chased the target down scoring 267-3 with 4.5 overs to spare, Adeeb Ilyas firing five sixes and 11 fours in a sizzling 111, as Hemp, Ben Jones and Williams took the wickets.

But in another friendly the same day, Usk beat hosts Brecon by two wickets.

Richard Rees, Ceri Wynne and Pat Rodden took two wickets apiece as Brecon were all out for 139 in 35.1 overs.

Jamie Rayner with 47 not out then steered Usk to 142-7 with 9.4 overs to spare.

Sunday saw Usk play their first competitive match, as they won by six wickets away to Gloucestershire side Dumbleton in the ECB National Club Championship preliminary round.

The hosts racked up an impressive 289-4 off 40 overs, with skipper Myles Holland cracking 122 off 76 balls, including six sixes and 10 fours.

But Usk weren't phased, Hemp firing 84 off 70 balls, including seven sixes and four fours, and Zafar the same score not out off 58 balls, including 10 fours and two sixes.

Skipper Elliott Doyle also fired 47 and Hugo Caldicott 38 as the visitors reached 292-4 with five balls to spare.

Llanarth CC held an inter-club warm-up between a Friendly XI and the 2nd XI, as Glen Hamilton scored 52 retired not out in the latter’s 187 all out off 40 overs.

The Friendly XI then batted out their full 40 overs reaching 197 all out, Sam Michell scoring 53 retired not out, Ollie Mann 46 and Isaac Mann 39 not out.

League cricket kicks off this Saturday (May 2) with Usk 1sts hosting Abergavenny in a South Wales Premier One derby.

Other fixtures include – Abergavenny 2nds v Cardiff 3rds, Ebbw Vale 2nds v Abergavenny 3rds, Abergavenny 4ths v South Wales Sri Lankan 2nds, Lisvane 1sts v Usk 2nds, Blackwood 2nds v Usk 3rds, Tondu 2nds v Llanarth 1sts, Llanarth 2nds v Dinas Powys 3rds, Glangrwyney 1sts v Sully Centurions 2nds, Caerdydd Barbarians 1sts v Glangrwyney 2nds.