SE Wales Cricket League Division Three (Second XI) - Monmouth (284-4) beat Barry Wanderers (180 all out) by 65 runs

MONMOUTH Second XI continued their good form in the South East Wales Cricket League Second XI Division Three with a commanding 65-run win at home to Barry Wanderers.

Skipper Rick Parkes won the toss and elected to bat, but Monmouth suffered the early loss in the second over of opener Ian Morgan. Thereafter Monmouth were able to keep the score ticking, despite the loss of Ben Pilot (10), who had scored a match-winning century in the early fixture at Barry, and opener Gordon Grey (32) to leave the home side on a slightly fragile 80-3 from 19 overs.

However the momentum shifted strongly in Monmouth’s favour as 13-year-old Harry Hughes upped the pace, scoring 44 from 37 balls, before being unluckily run out as he closed in on another half-century.

Monmouth then benefitted from a 130-run unbeaten partnership from Chris Chalk and Jonathan Jones, with runs accelerating as the overs progressed.

Chalk struck 11 fours in a chanceless and stylish knock of 80 not out, whilst at the other end Jones hit seven fours to bag his first half-century since his return to the club after a four-year gap, ending on an assertive 55 not out.

As a result, Monmouth finished on an imposing 248-4 from their allotted 40 overs.

In reply, Wanderers attempted to keep up with the run rate, but were pegged back by a wicket each for Monmouth’s young opening attack of 16-year-old Ben Pilot and 15-year-old Alfie Robinson.

Parkes then turned to 13-year-old off-spinner Owen Harris, who was unlucky not to be rewarded with a wicket in a tidy spell of 0-32 from six overs, whereas at the other end the experienced Aled Jones did break through, containing Barry’s counter-attack with 1-15 from five.

Monmouth continued to rotate its experienced bowling attack on a very hot day, but in a crucial passage of play, with Wanderers accelerating to 116-3 from 24 overs, the home side kept their nerve as Ian Morgan took a very sharp caught-and-bowled. Morgan finished on 1-25 from four overs, while at the other end Gordon Grey ensured that any thoughts that Barry Wanderers had to chase the target were extinguished, bagging two wickets in an eight-over spell that conceded just 30 runs.

Barry’s tail threatened to hold out, supported by A. Fenton’s stubborn innings of 72 not out, as Monmouth’s attention turned to maximising fielding points. Vice-captain Gaz Hughes (2-17) took two quick wickets in a short but effective two-over spell before Parkes returned to his young opening attack to try and finish things off. The decision was rewarded as Pilot took one wicket, to close on figures of 2-28 from eight overs, including two maidens, while Robinson took the last wicket in the final over to finish on 2-26 from 6.2 overs with one maiden.

The result meant that Monmouth gained maximum points for the second week in succession, closing the gap on second-placed Sully Centurions to just one point.

Next up Monmouth, sponsored by Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, are away to bottom-placed Machen.