A MAGNIFICENT maiden century for Ryan Avery was the highlight for Abergavenny 1st XI away to Port Talbot Town, as all four club sides won on Saturday, reports PAUL SUSSEX.

Abergavenny won the toss and batted with another different opening partnership – Will Glenn and Avery – who put on 52 for the first wicket when the former was bowled for 30.

Then Dan Skipwith and Avery saw the 100 up before veteran Stuart Phelps, looking for his 600th wicket for the hosts, bowled the Aussie teen for 16.

At drinks Abergavenny were 106-2 with Avery closing in on his 50 and batting really well.

But they slumped to 156-6 in the next 14 overs as Phelps reached his milestone.

Avery was still there on 72 though, and he negotiated his way to a magnificent maiden ton before being run out last man for a 106 that included 13 fours and a six.

The centurion steered the tail to add 57 for the last four wickets to finish 213 all out, Tom Pipe scoring 18 and Pawan 11.

Opening bowlers David Clarke and Owen Harris made early inroads into the Port batters. the latter dismissing the top order with 3-25.

A great catch by Pipe gave Pawan a wicket and soon Port were in further trouble as spinners Sam Clarke and Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy chipped in to reduce them to 93-6.

But it was a relief to see Rajesh Dhobi caught by Wilkes-McCarthy off the bowling of Skipwith for 68 after a 51-run seventh wicket stand (144-7).

And Port were all out for 158 in the 35th over, Clarke with 3-40, Skipwith 2-20 and a wicket each for Pawan and Wilkes- McCarthy.

The team was: Sam Clarke (capt), Will Glenn, Ryan Avery, Dan Skipwith, Tom Pipe, Jack Ryan, Owen Harris, David Clarke, Nathan Holley w/k, Pawan, Lewys Wilkes-McCarthy. The umpires were Zubair Iqbal and Vaughan Thomas.

Alex Holmes also fired a ton for the 2nds in a big win at home to South East Wales 6 table-toppers Newport Fugitives 2nds.

The visitors were restricted to 185-7 in 40 overs, James Hrastelj with 2-22, Lloyd Sharp 1-29, Steve Brown 2-14 and Tim Price 1-27.

And Holmes with a superb 112 not out off 88 balls, including 16 fours and a six, inspired them to a nine-wicket win, with Aber reaching 186-1 with 14 overs to spare after good support from Will Eccles (33) and Ellis Jones (25 not out), to move them within three points of Fugitives at the top.

Mihla Sibanda made it a hat-trick of centuries with an outstanding 114 not out as the 3rds won by 219 runs at home to a nine-man Creigiau 2nds.

Aber's 311 also included 77 from Archie Eccles, plus 22 from Stuart Eccles, 42 from Will Jones, 11 from James Morris and 12 from Adam Eccles.

In reply Creigiau were dismissed for 91, mainly due to the wily left arm orthodox of veteran Andy Timpson with 4-13, plus two wickets for Manuraj Raju and a wicket each for Dylan Beaumont-Welsh and Naveeshan Jayaraj.

The 4ths completed the clean sweep in a very short low-scoring game for the second week running.

Aber bowled out winless Crumlin 2nds for just 53 runs in 23 overs.

Owain Bradley took 3-12, Penihas Konda 3-3, Joe Fairbank 2-4, Imran Ahmadzai 1-8 and Evan Jones 1-23.

And exactly like the previous week, they knocked off the required runs without losing a wicket, in just eight overs, Mat Jones with 17 and Joe Fairbank 31, completing a day to remember for all four Aber teams.

This Saturday (June 15), the 1sts host Penarth, the 2nds are away to Penarth 3rds, the 3rds travel to face Blackwood 2nds, and the 4ths host Friends Union 2nds.