GLAMORGAN’S Will Smale gave Usk 1sts a flying start with 79 before former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar fired an unbeaten 68 to take them to 253-9 off 47 overs at home to St Fagans on Saturday.

But the South Wales Premier One leaders won the table-top battle by six wickets after reaching 258-4 with 2.2 overs to spare, leaving Usk fourth.

Smale's 79 off 82 balls featuring 12 fours included an 84-run third-wicket stand with Harawal Ahmed Wassam who fired 34 before holing out (136-3).

But the Glam 2024 One Day Cup winner then departed lbw after just another run (137-4) and it was soon 149-5.

Zafar then steadied the ship carrying his bat with Matthew Williams scoring 19, before the latter took 3-46 and caught Usk’s first victim off the bowling of Ollie Rayner.

But Saints had already reached 92 by then, with former Glam player Steve Reingold going on to score 100 backed by Rhodri Lewis 53 not out and Glam’s Callum Nicholls 41, before the visitors fired 31 runs off the last 16 balls to reach the winning line.

Usk 2nds also lost by six wickets away to Brecon 1sts after posting 243-8, Jamie Rayner scoring 71, Joe Peacock 50, Dan Cordell 46 and Dougie Spencer 30.

They then reduced Brecon to 111-4, but host opener James Davenport went on to fire 101 not out forming a 133-run unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership with James Mitchell, who struck an unbeaten 66, to reach 244-4 with 2.3 overs to spare.

The 3rds enjoyed an 84-run home win over Newport 4ths though, Rhys Williams and Julian Sanders firing tons in a 244-run third-wicket stand.

Pairing up at 44-2, they marched on to 288 when Williams was finally bowled last ball for a blistering 140 off 94 balls that included four sixes and 14 fours, with Sanders carrying his bat for 105 off 124 balls.

Newport were soon 30-3 and the target was always beyond them despite a 78-run fourth-wicket stand as they were dismissed for 204 in the 36th over, Ceri Wynne taking four wickets and Neil Perrett three.

Usk also beat visitors Newport Zalmis by 44 runs in the midweek Big Smash League after posting 203-3 off 18 overs, Matthew Williams firing 10 fours in an unbeaten 55 off 34 balls, Hugo Caldicott two sixes and six fours in a rapid-fire 46 off 23 balls, and Damian Harvey four sixes and three fours in an explosive 41 off 15 balls.

Zalmis only lost two wickets in reply, both to Greg Peacock deliveries, with opener Mohammad Salman firing 82 not out, but never troubled the target, finishing on 159-2.

But high-flying Monkswood's challenge for top spot in SEW 4 took a hit away to Pentyrch 2nds, as they slipped to a 29-run loss.

The hosts were dismissed for 194 in 36 overs, Conor Healy their main scorer with 87, as Haydn Simons and Gareth Trumper took wicket braces, backed by solo strikes for Jon Webb, Gavin Davies, Matthew Malson and Mike Jones.

Skipper Jones got them off to a solid start hitting 63 off 53 balls, including four sixes and four fours, before his dismissal (101-4) was followed by two quick wickets (112-6).

Simons and Davies steadied the ship to take them to 160 with a 48-run stand.

But the former's departure for 31 soon followed by Davies for 29 (164-8) sparked a collapse, with the final two wickets falling for just another run (165 all out).