AN unbeaten 92 from former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar helped Usk 1st XI to a 94-run win away to Bridgend Town on Saturday.

The fifth man fired nine fours and three sixes in his 80-ball knock, forming a 72-run fifth-wicket partnership with former Abergavenny player Tom Norton who scored 31, while Ollie Rayner with 37 and Glamorgan player Billy Root with 36 also contributed to Usk's 248-6 off 50 overs.

Tom Norton took four wickets for Usk CC 1st XI against Mumbles
(Usk CC)

Norton and Root also starred with the ball taking four and three wickets respectively, backed by Rayner with two and one for Freddie Wolfenden, as Bridgend were dismissed for 154 in the 38th over, leaving Usk third in South Wales Premier One.

But there was Macey Cup semi-final disappointment in midweek as they lost by 10 runs at home to Newport 1sts.

Billy Root scored a half century in the Macey Cup semi
(Glamorgan Cricket Archives)

The visitors fired 156-6 off 20 overs before limiting the hosts to 146-6 despite 59 from Root and 24 from Zafar, who earlier took two wickets.

The visiting Monkswood 1sts batting line up also proved too strong on Saturday for Usk 2nds in a high-scoring South East Wales 4 derby, Haydn Simons cracking 84, Matthew Malson 80 and Mark Jones 75 in an impressive 277-6 off 40 overs, Ryan Price taking three wickets and Mika Ekstrom two.

Usk mounted a decent reply, Jamie Rayner firing 77 and Joe Peacock 39 not out, but fell 64 runs short reaching 213-8, Simons taking three wickets.

The 3rds missed out by 19 runs away to Brecon 2nds, all out for 116 with an over left after dismissing the hosts for 135.

Gethin Thomas starred with the ball taking 5-23-8 backed by Daniel Cordell with two wickets, while Arvind Aswani top-scored with 58.

Elsewhere, two tons helped Llanarth 1st XI tonk Tondu 2nds by 94 runs at home to leave them third in SEW 5.

Opener Will Heath fired 104, including 17 fours and a six, forming a 176-run second-wicket partnership with fellow century marker Paul Gittins, who finished 100 not out after firing a single on the penultimate ball of their 45 overs, with the hosts finishing on 248-3.

Third man Gittins, who later took two catches in the field, also found the boundary with 14 fours, while Sean Edwards added 23 not out off 20 balls in a late cameo.

Llanarth's bowlers then steamed in, Dennis Heath taking 4-35-9 and two catches, backed by Dan Moseley with two wickets and solo strikes for Tom Heath, Glen Hamilton, and John Newington-Bridges who also secured a run out, as Tondu were dismissed for 154 in the 40th over.

The 2nds missed out by three wickets in a low scoring SEW 12E derby away to Abergavenny 4ths though.

Llanarth were all out for 79 in 35.4 overs, Dave Myatt with 22 and Henry King 21 not out before Aber squeezed to 81-7 in the 20th over, Harrison Griffiths with three wickets and Sam Holley and Charles Newington-Bridges two apiece.

In midweek, the villagers hosted Newport CC 2nds in the Macey Bowl semi-final, but in a tight match it was the city side prevailed by 14 runs.

Newport scored 147-7 off their 18 overs, Dan Moseley taking three wickets and Tom Heath two.

But despite 66 not out from opener Will Heath, the hosts fell just short with 133-5 in reply.