GLAMORGAN’S Will Smale cracked 94 for Usk 1st XI on Saturday, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 48-run loss to second-placed South Wales Premier One hosts St Fagans.

A 123-run fourth-wicket partnership between St Fagans' Owen Morgan (89) and Rhodri Lewis (94) set them up for a 281-6 total off their 50 overs, boosted by Haberdashers' Monmouth School's England U19 opener Jacob Blades with 44.

Tahmid Ahmed took 3-58-10, Cameron Hemp 2-41-10 and former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar 1-43-10.

In reply opener Hemp scored a quick-fire 43, including two sixes and five fours, before Smale shared a 76-run second-wicket partnership with Iwan Jones who scored 21 (152-3).

Smale's knock off 92 balls included 12 fours before he too departed (174-4).

And although skipper Elliot Doyle added 29, the next four batsmen could only manage 10 scoring runs between them, and it was left to tail enders Matthew Williams with 11 not out and Ben Jones with an unbeaten 14 to see them to 233-9 off their 50 overs.

The result was a third straight league loss for Usk, who have slipped from second at the end of June to fifth.

In midweek, Glamorgan's Billy Root – brother of new England skipper Joe - showed fine form with the bat in their Big Smash League game at home to Newport Zalmis, firing 77 off 47 balls, including three sixes and eight fours.

Matt Hancock also scored 23 and Hugo Caldicott 21, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 33-run loss, as they were restricted to 142-4 off 18 overs chasing 175-5.

But the 2nds won by six wickets at home to Radyr 2nds on Saturday to pull clear of the bottom three in South East Wales 2.

Joe Perrett and Neil Peacock took three wickets each as the visitors were dismissed for 135 in 41.3 overs.

And Usk then eased to 138-4 in 34.5 overs, Amit Aswani scoring 45 and skipper Jamie Rayner 23.

The 3rds stay in the SEW 9 drop zone though, after a 100-run home loss Christchurch Ferndale 1sts.

The visitors scored an imposing 286-8 off 40 overs, and despite a brilliant 104 off 86 balls from opener Henry Atkinson, including three sixes and 15 fours, and a battling 21 from last man Nicholas Jeremiah, it proved too much, with Usk all out for 186 in 30.4 overs.

Elsewhere, 54 from Isaac Evans and 40 from Will Heath helped fire Llanarth 1sts to a 77-run SEW 5 win over visitors Ebbw Vale 1sts.

Paul Gittins also added 28, Sam Michell 25 and Ollie Mann 20 as the Trees reached 255 all out off 45 overs.

Vale were then dismissed for 178 in 39.3 overs, Dan Moseley taking five wickets for 41 runs off nine overs, backed by Mann and Heath with wicket braces.

But Llanarth 2nds just missed out by 13 runs in a nail-biting SEW 12 run chase away to Newport Fugitives 3rds.

The hosts reached 213-9 off their 40 overs, Andrew Hilditch taking 4-25 and Mark Batt 3-24.

And the visitors looked in a good place at 166-4, before the departures of Baxter Squirrel for 35 and Hilditch for 30 (172-6) slowed the push for victory, and they were all out for 200 with five balls remaining, Nick White with 26 and Andrew Spencer 19 also having contributed.

Usk 1sts host Ammanford this Saturday (August 15).