A 119-RUN second wicket stand between Ollie Rayner and Gareth Ansell helped guide Chepstow CC 1st XI to an rain-reduced 80-run victory at Cowbridge on Saturday.

Rayner cracked a six and five fours in his 76-ball 61-run knock, while his partner chipped in with 53 off 97 balls.

The South Wales Premier Two visitors reached 147-5 off 35 overs, before the rain and the vagaries of the Duckworth-Lewis formula saw the hosts set a new target of 148 off 22 overs.

Chepstow’s attack and the difficult batting conditions then saw Cowbridge limp to just 67-8 in the allotted overs, with Rhys Leach taking 3-21 off seven overs and Jason Dobbie 2-20 off seven.

Only two batsmen made double figures as the visitors pretty much tied them up in knots.

It helped make up for Macey Cup T20 semi-final defeat at home to Malpas in midweek, where Kameel Sahabdeen fired 35 and Harry Hughes 34 as Chepstow set a target of 133-8.

In reply, the visitors got home with seven balls to spare, scoring 135-3 to go through.  

The 2nd XI’s game at home to Radyr 3rds lasted just 11 overs on Saturday, with the visitors on 38-0 when the heavens opened and proceedings were abandoned, while the 3rds trip to face Aber 4ths was cancelled.

Monmouth CC’s weekend proved a complete washout, following a nine-wicket midweek evening league loss at home to Newport Tigers, where home highlights were half centuries for Sam Swingwood and Barry Jones.   

Sam cracked an unbeaten 51, including three sixes and three fours, while Barry’s 56 featured five sixes and three fours.

But the target of 146-4 off 18 overs was passed in 12.5 overs by the Tigers, who raced to 151-1.   

Former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar cracked a whirlwind 74 off just 41 balls in Usk 1st XI’s reduced 24-over total of 197-9 at home to Pentyrch in South Wales Premier Two on Saturday, cracking six sixes and five fours.

Mika Ekstrom also smashed 33 off 23 balls for the table-toppers, while skipper Elliott Doyle was also in a hurry, firing 22 off 17 balls, all but two coming from boundaries, alongside fellow opener Hugo Caldicott with 21 off 18 balls.

Pentrych’s openers hit back though, firing 43 off just 3.3 overs without loss to put Usk on the back foot, Lewis Coates firing 19 off 11 balls and Jamie Mills 23 off 10 balls.

But at that point, the heavens opened again, and that was the last of the action, with the game abandoned and both teams having to settle for five points.

The weather spared the 3rds at home to fellow South East Wales 10 high-flyers Sully Spartans 2nds, trailing by 109 with just seven overs and two wickets left when the game was called off.

Sully set a blistering target of 208-8 off their reduced 25 overs, Chris Kirkwood taking four middle order wickets for 40 off five overs and Sam Rodden two for 22 off five.

In reply, Usk reached 38 without loss, but were soon 41-3 and staring down the barrel at 91-8, only for the rain to intervene at the 11th hour.

Kirkwood with 24, Arvind Aswani with 21 and Henry Allott with 18 were the only batsmen to reach double figures.

However, Usk managed to play out a friendly at home to south Gloucestershire outfit Westerleigh the following day, running out comfortable winners by 100 runs.  

Young Ryan Price scored his first ever half-century, matched by another 50 from Damian Harvey, as the hosts racked up 210-6 off 40 overs.

And in reply, the visitors were restricted to 110-6, young Alfie Rayner the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 11 off five, backed by Ollie Hall who also bowled well.  

Llanarth 1st XI were engaged in a good away battle with SEW 5 leaders Sully Spartans when the heavens opened.

The visitors dismissed the hosts for 169 in 30 overs, Dan Moseley with a five-wicket haul, and Tom Heath and Dennis Heath taking two apiece.

And in reply Llanarth openers Ollie Mann (27) and Will Heath (20) raced to 52 without loss in 7.3 overs when proceedings were curtailed, with both teams awarded 10 points each.

But Blackwood Town 3rds only made it to 26-2 away to Llanarth 2nds in SEW 12E before things were called off.