THE new SWALEC South Wales Premier League beat the rain that was forecast to make a successful start.
The first ball was ceremonially bowled at the Diamond Ground by Will Owen, of last year’s Antur Insurance South Wales Cricket Association champions Ammanford, to Dewi Preece, of the Thomas, Carroll South Wales Cricket League champions Cardiff.
The league brings together the cream of club cricket in South Wales, and on the opening day honours finished even between East and West.
Newport’s first game was at Ynysygerwn and they were asked to bat first by Newport and then proceeded to smash club records as they racked up an impressive 318-7.
The backbone of that total was a partnership between Sam Davies and Stephen Inward, with Davies making a sparkling 124 which was the first time in Ynysygerwn’s history that a cricketer had made a century on his debut for the club.
Inward scored a superb 109 and the pair put on a new club record total of 257 for the third wicket.
It was a daunting target but Newport went for it with Imran Hassan cracking a fine 81, but they finished on 276-7 on the wrong side of a drawn game.
Mark Davies took 2-37 for Ynysygerwn, Craig Evans 2-43 and Nick Maggs 1-47.
The only game affected by the rain was at Usk, where visitors Swansea were put in by Tom Robinson.
The teams had to come off at 2.20pm and play didn’t resume until 4.40pm. Swansea batted until 6.40pm and reached 260-8.
Skipper Mark Payne led the way with an impeccable 91, Gareth Hayden made 59, former Tondu player Dan Rowe 28 and Josh Hughes 25. For Usk, Owen Watkins took 3-29, skipper Robinson 2-50 and Tom Lee 2-51.
After a ten-minute break, Usk started their reply at 6.50pm with a Duckworth Lewis target of 186 in 34 overs, but they had only reached 28-2 when bad light forced the match to be abandoned.
Cardiff defeated Ammanford by 50 runs in a low-scoring match with Glamorgan’s left-arm spinner Nick James taking 6-13, while Sully got off to a great start at Port Talbot Town with Ryan Sylvester becoming the third centurion of the opening day, but the home side hung on for a draw.
Pontardulais thrashed St Fagans at Crofft-y-Genau Road thanks to some fine bowling by Owain Morgan (5-11) and Carl Roberts (4-26).
BLACKWOOD made a great start to the new season in Division One of the Thomas, Carroll Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League with a 108- run drubbing of visitors Penarth.
Blackwood were put in and opener Chris Rogers set the tone for the inning with a fine 79, but the fireworks came from Rob Birch, who cracked three sixes and seven fours in a quick- fire 57. Huw Wilcox got an unbeaten 52 and Neil Reardon 30 in the home total of 244-8.
Penarth struggled from the start and only Matt Thomas (30 n.o) made much impression with the bat as Richard Matthews took 3-10 and Reardon 3-30 to get them all out for 136.
Tondu won the toss at Bryn Road and inserted Chepstow, who scored 227-7 in their 50 overs with Jason Dobbie scoring 67, Carwyn James 37, Alex Winter 33 and David Bennett 29 not out. Nic Miles took 4-33 off six overs for the Waterwheelers.
Ryan Owen made 43 when Tondu batted, but a middle-order collapse meant that Tim Woolls (36 n.o) and Jamie Williamson (31 n.o) had to bat steadily to salvage a draw with Tondu finishing on 205-6.
The game at Croesyceiliog had to be abandoned with visitors Sudbrook on 45-4,while Panteg didn’t get the start they wanted, losing by three wickets at much-fancied Bridgend Town.
Panteg were put in and managed 175-6 with Barney Worrad top-scoring on 52. Jack Reed got 40 and Lewis Parfitt 38, while Adam Weaver bowled a fiery 10-over spell to take 4-38.
Former Sully players David Goodway (62) and captain and former Glamorgan quickie Andrew Davies (61) paced the Bridgend reply to perfection with the winning runs coming with two balls to spare. Seamer Chris Mee returned 10-4-23-5 for Panteg.
Abergavenny entertained Pentyrch at Avenue Road and asked the visitors to bat first. Mike Barber scored a fine 91 and Lewis Coated got 37 not out in the Pentyrch total of 220-7, with Ryan Watkins taking 2-36 for Abergavenny and Nathan Byrne 2-52.
A rain delay meant that Abergavenny had to get 176 in 30 overs under the Duckworth Lewis formula and they made it in 28.
A good start was imperative and Abergavenny got that with an opening stand of 93 by Andrew Jones (51) and Greg Fury, who blasted 50 off 22 balls, which turned the tide in Abergavenny’s favour. Coates took 2-49 for Pentyrch.
Ebbw Vale’s game against Miskin Manor in Division Two was cancelled, as was the match at Brecon, where Malpas were the visitors, but Newport Fugitives played at Creigiau and probably wish they hadn’t.
Creigiau opted to go in first and made 252-6, mainly down to a fifth- wicket stand of 148 by Martin Powell (97 n.o) and 16-year-old Alex Moore (71). Skipper Tom Lloyd weighed in with 35, while for the Fugitives, James Didcot took 2-28 off 10 overs and Andrew Bartlett 2-35 off 10.
Russell Thomas top-scored for the Fugitives with 36 and Gavin Rodway got 25 not out but Wyn Innes took 3-19 off 10 overs for Creigiau, Dew Williams 3-37 and Dave Martin returned 10-4-11-1 as the Fugitives were bowled out for 137. Wicket-keeper Geraint Thomas had four dismissals for Creigiau.
Pontypridd defeated Radyr and Rogerstone got off to a winning start at Hoovers. Rogerstone managed only 144 all out, with Andy Harris and Andrew Trinder both getting 25 and Richard Webb 24 as captain Matthew Veale took 3-17 for Hoovers.
Veale then led by example with a top score of 33 but lacked support and his side slumped to 78 all out. Muhammed Asif took two wickets in four overs without conceding a run, while Harris had 2-9 and Jake Ramii 2-6.
In Division Three, Barry beat newcomers Upper Rhondda, Vale won at Cardiff Gymkhana and Machen made a winning start at home to Lisvane.
Mike Fussell (75) and Ed Foxx-Smith (52) put on 109 for the fifth wicket when Machen went in first, Gareth Jones scored 59 and Alan Norman 33 in their total of 268-7.
Luke Jones took 3-41 for Lisvane and Stuart Drury 2-43.
Lisvane almost made it thanks to the season’s first centurion, Snehassis Tripathy, who got a brilliant 125 sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 68 with Jones (29 n.o) while Eswar Krishnamurthy made 27 but Lisvane came up 21 runs short. Fussell took 2-42 for Machen.
Another newcomer, Llantwit Fardre, were below strength at home to Welsh Asians and lost heavily, while promoted Newbridge also lost at Ponthir.
Jonathan Wellington made a fine 82 not out and David Fortune got 34 as Newbridge reached 177-8, with Jack Norman taking 2-10 for Ponthir.
Norman then took up the bat to score 92 not out to steer Ponthir to a six-wicket win.
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