ABERGAVENNY CC’s 1sts travelled to fellow strugglers Pontarddulais as the season reached the halfway stage.

Winning the toss they batted, and reached 162-3 at the start of the 40th over, with Morgan Bevans and Mujihad Ilyas just beginning to increase the tempo after losing Ryan Avery for a well-made 35, skipper Sam Clarke for seven and Jack Ryan four.

Sadly, they then lost Bevans for 64 and Ilyas 43 in quick succession following a 78-run partnership (169-5), the former having shown his best form of the season.

The lower order took the score past 200 with Lloyd Sharp 30 not out making the biggest contribution as they finished on 210-8.

Early wickets would be essential and Josh Spies and Ben Morris bowled really well, the former taking the wicket of Richard Grant for one, caught low down by Joe Harris, in his first over.

Pontarddulais were 89-2 at the half-way stage, but former Gloucestershire CCC player Cameron Herring and skipper Mathew Fisher then took control, sharing a 107-run third-wicket partnership.

Herring fired a superb 101 to take them to within 15 runs of the target with eight overs left ,when he was eventually caught by Tom Pipe off a Ben Morris delivery (196-3).

Fisher with an unbeaten 64 completed the job as Pont reached 211-3 with six overs to spare.

Aber’s three other teams all won though, with the unbeaten 2nds downing Dinas Powys at home by 61 runs in a South East Wales 4 top of the table clash to open a 12-point gap.

Batting first, they were indebted to Cardiff Met student Baljeevan Khalsa, who is part of the university's cricket programme and has participated in intensive high-performance training regimens, including a development stint in Adelaide, Australia,

He fired a magnificent 159 not out from just 119 balls , including 12 fours and eight sixes, supported by James Morris (14), Olly Jones (17), skipper Ed Woolcott (40) who shared a 92-run partnership for the third wicket, and Drew Heffernan 30 not out, as Abergavenny closed on 281-4 off 40 overs.

Dinas Powys needed to maintain a run rate of seven an over, which proved to steep as they were all out for 220 in 37 overs.

Abergavenny used seven bowlers, six of whom shared the wickets, Evan Jones taking 3-35, and Shunryu Sheehan 2-34, with one each for Dylan Beaumont-Welsh, Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy, Khalsa and Olly Jones.

The 3rds were victorious at Crickhowell with two father and sons representing the team – Glamorgan legend Mark Wallace with Ioan and ex-Glamorgan player Ryan Watkins with son Charlie.

Pencoed posted 186-8 in their 40 overs, passing 50 without losing a wicket before the bowlers gradually made inroads, skipper Steve Brown doing the business taking 4-25, and Charlie Watkins surpassing his dad, who opened the bowling with him, by claiming a wicket.

In reply, Ioan Wallace with 17 and Ryan Williams 37 helped them to 135-2 before a little stutter to 137-5.

But Archie Eccles with an unbeaten 73, supported by Jaiden Caswell, 48, ensured victory in the 27th over (191-5).

Winning the toss away to Blackwood Town 3rds, the 4ths inserted their opponents and limited them to 134-9 in 40 overs after the hosts had reached 76-2.

Abergavenny used nine bowlers, with two wickets each for Will Morris (2-16) and Kai Whitcomb (2-15), and one each for Rijo Matthews, Arun Babu, Tal Edwards, Maddox Morris and Aled Roberts.

In reply, Aber lost Joe Bowden and Arun Babu early on (34-2) before a 99-run third-wicket partnership between Will Morris (62) and skipper/keeper Barry French (34 not out) saw them to 137-4 with 13 overs to spare.

Abergavenny 1sts will hope to start turning things round at home to local rivals Usk on Saturday (July 4), and other games are Cardiff 3rds v 2nds, 3rds v Ebbw Vale 2nds, South Wales Sri Lankans 2nds v 4ths.