Abergavenny secured promotion back to Division One at the first attempt on Saturday with a superb 139 run victory against Lisvane.

After losing the toss Abergavenny scored 242-5 from their 50 overs with opening batsman Andrew Jones scoring a fantastic 109 and Adam Harrison getting 51.

In reply Lisvane were blown away for just 103 as 17-year-old David Clarke broke through the 30 wicket barrier in the league this season as he claimed 4-27 while Dan Cooke bowled a hostile opening spell claiming 2-13. Other wickets fell to leg spinner Sam Clarke, medium pacer Ross Melrose and captain Geraint Leach while Gareth Burkitt effected a brilliant run out.

The victory gave Abergavenny maximum points and also meant the first team go through the season unbeaten at Avenue Road with eight victories and one abandonment.

Next week Aber travel to Ponthir knowing a victory with full points will hand them the league title.

Crickhowell headed off, more in hope than expectation, to north Herefordshire for their penultimate game of the season, to face champions ‘elect’, Luctonians.

The Welshmen managed to muster eleven players together, but a number of these were carrying a few injuries.

Luctonians play at Mortimer Park, an impressive sporting complex boasting four rugby and two cricket pitches, and which takes its name from the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross, where in 1461 the Yorkist Edward IV defeated the Lancastrian Henry VI to become King of England.

Crickhowell, with their battle weary forces, at least won the toss and invited their hosts to bat first.

Ben Bowker (0-49) bowling up-hill and into a stiff breeze, conquered the conditions well to complete his 12 overs, and brother Joseph (0-74) off his 12, beat the bat on many occasions. Both could easily have finished with three or four wickets each if the catching, fielding, and ‘lady luck’ had been on their side.

It was Nick Francis (2 - 44) that finally got the break through removing Maund for 25, but this only brought James Platford (65) in to join his father Duncan, and the pair set about building a formidable score.

It was Nick Francis again who bowled James, but the Platford platform was already in place for Bengry to come in and hit a quick fire 39 not out.

Phill Bowker (2-71) came on to replace son Ben, and eventually managed to remove Platford senior, bowled for 85, and Rollings (8) with Ben taking a superb overhead catch on the boundary. Luctonians though, managed to close on 245 for four to take maximum batting points with Crickhowell only having the two bowling points to show for their efforts.

Unfortunately after tea, Crickhowell’s fragile batting was again on display with only three batsmen reaching double figures and even those, well behind the ‘top scorer’, which was 31 ‘extras’. Wallace battled hard for his 16 and Joseph Bowker managed a few lusty blows for the same score as other batsmen then got in, but managed to get out, mostly giving catching practice to the opposition. The team could only hobble to 114 all out, with Dilshan (4 -30) and Maund (4 -17) doing most of the damage.

There was however, a ray of hope for Crickhowell, with a promising knock by young Callum Tew, who remained undefeated on 16 having played with confidence and showing good shot selection. This little innings might be a small crust of comfort in an otherwise uninspiring collective performance, but an aging Crickhowell team will certainly need to be looking for an injection of youth and some new blood, for next season, if they want to challenge at the top of the table and avoid wrestling with relegation again.