AN unbeaten 66 from Harawal Wassam and 55 not out from Tamoor Zafar helped Usk bounce back from a third straight league loss 24 hours earlier, with victory in the second round of the Senior Open Welsh Cup.

Visistors Newport CC won the toss and batted, former Qatar skipper Zafar striking twice in one over to reduce them to 67-3.

The city side pushed on to 128 without further loss and looked well set with 14 overs left before Zafar again made the breakthrough, dismissing Tom Barry for 34.

Newport still seemed in good shape at 171-5, when Hugo Caldicott held a catch off the bowling of Wassam to dismiss top scorer Mujeid Ilyas for 50.

And the visitors’ wheels then fell off, the last five wickets falling for just 12 runs including two ducks, as they were all out for 183 in 38.3 overs, Wassam finishing with 3-10 off just nine balls, Zafar 3-24-8, Ben Jones 2-25-7 and single wickets for Joe Peacock and Matthew Williams.

Usk lost Caldicot (5) and Ollie Rayner (13) early on (26-2), but Wassam and Elliott Doyle then put on 55 before the latter was bowled for a brisk 39 off 38 balls (81-3).

The game seemed evenly balanced, but when Zafar joined Wassam the duo proved unstoppable, compiling an unbeaten 106 partnership to take Usk to 187-3 and victory in 31.5 overs.

It was a different feeling to the previous day, as Usk fell to a third league defeat in a row since topping the South Wales Premier table at the start of last month, losing by 18 runs at basement side Cardiff.

They limited the city hosts to 186-9 off 42 overs, Glamorgan's Billy Root and Zafar taking two wickets apiece.

But a solid start by openers Caldicott with 24 and Rayner 28 came undone with the dismissal of Root – brother of England star Joe – for a golden duck (57-3).

Zafar almost single handedly kept their hopes alive with 63, but couldn't find any partners to stay around.

Only Doyle 14 and Williams 11 made double figures from the rest of the line up, with Usk all out for 168 with 2.2 overs to play an over after their top scorer's dismissal, leaving them fourth.

The 2nds were also dismissed just four runs short of their target at home to Blackwood Town 1sts.

Joe Peacock took three wickets, and Neil Perrett, Sam Rodden and Oliver Hall two apiece as Usk dismissed the visitors for 193 in 43.3 overs, Pat Rodden taking three catches.

But the hosts then fell agonisingly short, all out for 189 at the end of the 44th over, with the exit of top-scorer Sidharth Ramesh for 64 hitting his own wicket when just 10 runs short (184-7) proving pivotal, only five more runs added for the final three wickets.

And on a disappointing day, the 3rds were also beaten by eight wickets away to Pontnewynydd 1sts, restricted to 148-5 off 40 overs before the hosts raced to 150-2 in 24 overs.

The Big Smash League team also fell to a 15-run midweek loss at home to Kings Newport after being set 170-4 off 18 overs.

Matthew Williams cracked 80 not out off 46 balls, including five sixes and five fours, backed by Joe Peacock with 41 off 35 balls, but they could only reach 155-5.