ABERGAVENNY Beavers welcomed Widemarsh Lads Club to Crickhowell Cricket Club for their Marches League Division Three clash. Skipper Mark Winstanley won the toss and decided to bat. Beavers made a bad start when the in form Nathan Holley was caught and bowled for five. Nick Kinman was out lbw for 10 with Aber in a spot of bother on 35-2 from 12 overs. Batting was tough going especially against the opening bowlers, but with the opposition only having eight players there were plenty of gaps to exploit as Owain Bradley and Winstanley attempted to up the run rate. Both put the bad ball away. As before Winstanley was dismissed lbw for 56. Tom Griffiths was quickly back to the pavilion for single figures while Jon Lamont hit a quick fire 14 before running himself out. Bradley was then out for a career best 84 but the Beavers carried on losing wickets in the final overs to finish on 193 - 9 With the threat of rain increasing, Aber wanted early wickets with Greg Spencer and Griffiths opening the bowling. Spencer picked up 2-18 from nine overs and Griffiths 3-30 from 10 overs. After a slight rain delay, first change bowlers Richard Monnington and the returning Tom Keane kept the pressure on the batsman. Keane took the last two wickets to seal a 131 run victory as Widemarsh Lads club were bowled out for 62. Next up for the Beavers is a trip to Hereford to take on bottom placed Garnons seconds.

LLANARTH travelled to Tredegar looking to strengthen their own mid-table position whilst keeping their hosts in trouble near the bottom of the table. Skipper Heath lost the toss and the Trees were inserted on what looked to be a lovely wicket with both pace and bounce, and so it proved. Lomax and Baxter were able to use the extra speed of Richards for a flurry of early boundaries before Lomax was castled by a well pitched up delivery. Despite the setback Baxter (52) and A Dewfield (50) continued to take the attack to the bowlers by severely punishing anything loose to the extent that the 100 was raised in the 18th over. However at 114-1 Tredegar hit back, first removing Baxter when he missed a pacey one from Richards to be lbw and then A Dewfield when he bunted one to mid-wicket. Two more quick wickets fell and the Trees were shaking at 129-5. Enter skipper Heath (38) to join Nowell (54) and the pair forged an excellent partnership of 79 that at first stabilised the innings, then counter-attacked. Some hard-hitting mixed with well placed singles was the recipe that got Llanarth back into the contest, this was in spite of the fact that Nowell had badly damaged a hamstring and required a runner before he had reached 20. When Heath and Nowell both fell to catches, K Spencer strode to the wicket and ensured the momentum continued by hitting 21* in quick time to ensure the innings closed on a very useful 249-7. Post-tea, James (3-34) was again entrusted with the new cherry and after opening with a no-ball used the extra, seventh, delivery well when he found a stonker to hit the top of off stump. With Vaughan and Banaras missing, the depleted Llanarth bowling attack took another turn for the worse as Baxter became his teams second hamstring victim of the day in only his second over forcing Heath's (2-61) leg-spin into action earlier than planned, whilst Tredegar's Richards (81*) showed he could bat too as he played his part in ticking the scoreboard along by muscling some powerful boundaries. Although the required run rate climbed into double figures it didn't quite run away from the home side and when Heath's eighth over was clubbed for three maximums it was time for another plan. C Dewfield was pressed into the attack and delivered for his team by sending down five overs for less than a run a ball as he and the returning James closed the game down for the Trees who held their composure in the field too by executing three late run outs as Tredegar settled for 209-9. 

On Saturday, Usk first XI visited Tondu. The game started well for Usk as they dismissed the hosts for 122. Gabriel Warwick picked up 5-10, while skipper Henry Lewis took 3-21. Unfortunately, poor weather meant that Usk never got the chance to reply.

The first XI will look to return to winning ways next Saturday when they are away again. This time they travel to Pentyrch. Meanwhile the seconds entertain the same opponents. Both matches begin at 1pm.