USK 1st XI finished a great league season with a tight two-wicket victory at Neath to place third in South Wales Premier One ahead of the likes of city sides Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.

They just missed out on second to Pontarddulais by two points having beaten them on the penultimate weekend, with the West Wales side scraping to the runners-up spot by scoring seven losing points on Saturday at home to Newport, while the Monmouthshire side were two points short of a maximum 20-point win.

Matthew Williams took three wickets, and Tamoor Zafar, Ollie Rayner and Ben Jones two apiece as they restricted Neath to 175-9 off 50 overs at The Gnoll.

The reply started falteringly, with the visitors soon 18-3, but a 52-run fourth wicket stand between Oliver Norton and Tom Norton got them back on track before the latter holed out for 18 (70-4).

Norton made 47 before going next (99-5), with the match in the balance.

But former Qatar captain Zafar then showed his international class to score an unbeaten 55, shepherding the lower order to 176-8 with 11 balls to spare.

Usk CC 2nds won promotion to South East Wales 3
Usk CC 2nds won promotion to South East Wales 3. Photo: Usk CC (Usk CC)

The 2nds won by 10 wickets at home to Barry Athletic 2nds, winning promotion just two points behind South East Wales 4 champions and local rivals Monkswood.

Barry were all out for 99 in 36.1 overs before the hosts raced to 102-0 in just 14.2 overs.

Usc CC 3rds
Usc CC 3rds (Usk CC)

The 3rds lost out by three wickets to Blaengarw & Coedely 1sts away after setting a target of 185-8 off 40 overs, skipper Sam Rodden bowled a single short of a ton backed by Gethin Thomas with 32 not out and Dan Cordell with 27.

But despite four wickets for Ross Price, the hosts reached 187-7 with 5.3 overs to spare, Usk finishing third in SEW 9.