CHEPSTOW 1sts squeezed home with two wickets to spare away to Llandaff to close to within one point of top spot in South East Wales One.

Three wickets for Filip Chitnis, and two apiece for Ben Hope-Bell and Lewys Jones helped restrict the city hosts to 198-9 in their 50 overs.

Chepstow then forged well ahead of the run rate after a 76-run fourth wicket stand between Hope-Bell who scored 22 and Harry Hughes who went on to fire 56, backed by a 57-run sixth wicket stand between James Kellaway 28 and Rhys Leach 33 (183-6).

But reduced to 193-8, they were relieved to reach 199 without further loss, with 12 overs to spare.

The 2nds won more comfortably beating Creigiau 1sts by 64 runs at home after posting 222-7 in 45 overs.

The top order scored well reaching 182-3 before skipper Tuhin Gavand went for a top-score 57, with Raahi Kumar then carrying his bat for 39 following other contributions from Malith Madurasinghe 34, Jared O'Brien 21 and Jonathan Huws 19.

Kumar, Bruno Chitnis, Andrew De Almeida and Scott Williams then took wicket braces to help limit the visitors to 158-9, with the win leaving Usk tied on points at the top of SEW 3 with Llandaff 2nds.

In a clean sweep for Chepstow, the 3rds also won a last over cliffhanger by eight runs away to Blackwood Town 4ths.

The visitors managed a fairly lowly 111-9 off their 40 overs, largely thanks to late heroics from No 10 batsman Ollie Trepte, who fired 41, including eight fours, following 21 from Jack Ward and 20 from Luca Goddard.

The wicket-keeper’s defiance proved vital, as Tom Absalom with four wickets, Goddard with two plus two catches and final wicket run out stopped the hosts in their tracks, all out for 103 with 11 balls to play.