NO play was possible until around 4.20pm at Avenue Road on Saturday due to the weather, as Abergavenny 1st XI hosted Cowbridge for a South Wales Premier Two clash, reports PAUL SUSSEX.

A shortened game of 20 overs per side commenced with the visitors put in to bat by acting captain Greg Fury.

Cowbridge didn’t take long to get into T20 mode and while opener Carwyn Jones played a supporting role with 28, skipper Jack Cropper with 41 before his dismissal to a Lewys Wilkes-Mccarthy delivery (74-1) and Tim Moses with 45 made hay, helping them to 127-1 in the 17th over.

David Clarke then struck in his second spell to calm things down, Lloyd Sharp taking a catch to dismiss Moses, leaving it 128-2 with three overs remaining.

He struck twice more in his fourth over to make it 142-4, finishing with 3-19 from his allotment of four overs.

James Hrastelj then struck in the final over to dismiss Jones, which helped Abergavenny keep Cowbridge to a reasonable 145-5 under the circumstances.

Abergavenny lost young Australian all-rounder Dan Skipwith in the first over for a duck, bowled by Moses, which was a real blow.

And then Tom Pipe was run out after three overs for five making it 15-2, before Greg Fury followed quickly without scoring (25-3).

Ryan Avery and Jack Ryan took it to 57, when Ryan Avery was bowled for 24 for the fourth wicket.

At the half way mark, Abergavenny were 60-4 needing 86 from the last 10 overs.

But they then lost Ed Woolcott for one and Jack Ryan for 19, making the task almost impossible at 75-6.

Hrastelj with an unbeaten 14 and Pawan Nisansala with 16 brought up the 100, but in the 19th over the latter holed out for the eighth wicket with 41 still needed.

And only one more was added, as Aber were all out for 105.

With Ynystawe winning a close game with Clydach, Abergavenny dropped to third place in the League.

But outstanding performances from Geraint Leach and Alex Holmes kept Abergavenny 2nds on top of South East Wales Division Six.

Geraint Leach took five wickets
Geraint Leach took five wickets. Photo: Abergavenny CC (Abergavenny CC)

Hosts Vale CC batted first and were bowled out in the 37th over for 151, which proved to be a walk in the park for the visitors, who passed the total reaching 155 for the loss of just three wickets in 27 overs to move 13 points clear at the top.

With the ball, the main thorn in Vale's side was Leach who wreaked havoc after they reached 100-1, with great figures of 5-24.

Vale crumbled from to 151 all out, with Leach supported by Dylan Beaumont Welsh, who bowled eight overs well without reward for just 23 runs, Matthew Knight 2-27 and a wicket for Steve Brown.

The outstanding batter was Holmes with an unbeaten 90, who opened the innings with Will Eccles, who for once failed, out for a single.

Holmes was supported by young Olly Jones (16), Steve Brown (24) and Chai Sanapala (8 not out).

The 3rds and 4ths games away to Sully 2nds and home to Newport Fugitives 3rds were scuppered by the weather.

Elsewhere, Glangrwyney were also beaten by rain, away to Ebbw Vale 2nds and home to Monmouth 3rds.

Abergavenny 1sts visit Malpas for the Macey Cup semi-final on Thursday evening (July 11).

Fixtures this Saturday (July 13) include – Abergavenny 1sts v Mumbles 1sts, Abergavenny 2nds v Pontypridd 2nds, Great Western Bridgend 1sts v Abergavenny 3rds, Abergavenny 4ths v Llanarth 2nds, Glangrwyney 1sts v Porth 1sts, Ponthir 4ths v Glangrwyney 2nds.