MONMOUTH Cricket Club 1st XI will be playing their cricket in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League Division 3 again next season after their slim title & promotion hopes were eradicated on Saturday.

With newly crowned champions Cardiff Gymkhana winning a low scoring match against Monkswood, and Ebbw Vale’s match being rained off away at Pentwyn, Monmouth’s thumping 149 run victory over Caerphilly based Machen meant very little in the grand scheme of things. 

Monmouth, sponsored by JD Wetherspoon, lost the toss at the Machen Welfare Ground, and were asked to bat first on a tricky looking wicket following a short shower just before the start. However, openers Adam Roberts (33) and Josh Grey (202) batted with great authority and control as they posted 109 for the first wicket before Roberts fell to a good catch at mid-off. This brought youngster Henry Breeze (112 not out) to the crease and both he and Grey made the most of some wayward bowling and a short boundary on the one side.

Grey’s magnificent innings of 202 consisted of an incredible 32 fours and 5 sixes and came off just 159 balls. The innings is a new Monmouth club high score record, surpassing Kiwi overseas player Fraser Kilgour’s 167 against Kidderminster in 2011. It also saw Grey move on to 972 runs for the season at an average of 74.77, yet another club record. Grey and Breeze also managed to put on an impressive 256 runs for the 2nd wicket, which was only broken after Grey selflessly ran himself out with Breeze pushing for his maiden century for the club in the last over.

In the end Monmouth closed on an imposing looking 377-2 off their allotted 45 overs.

After tea and unaware still of the situation in Gymkhana’s game, the target was 10 wickets to pick up a maximum 20 point haul. Opening bowlers Neil Smith (1-29) and Raj Kattappu (1-21) started well, as Machen slid to 51-3. In truth the target was always going to prove too much for the home side, and despite entertaining knocks from opener Nick Hatton (34), Rob Ashcroft (41), Steve Kripalani (41 not out) and in particular Delme Smith (44 off just 15 balls), the home side could only finish on 228-9 after their 45 overs.

With news of Gymkhana’s victory filtering through, Monmouth decided to use a variety of bowlers, with wickets for Tom Vickers (1-28), Henry Breeze (2-5) and Aubrey Stubbs (1-40) plus Wales U13s spinner Ben Davies (2-46) who finished the season with a remarkable 36 first team wickets at an average of just 14.15.

In the field, Monmouth supported their bowlers well with catches for man of the match Josh Grey, Henry Breeze plus wicket-keeper Gareth Hughes. Anyone interested in playing cricket for Monmouth next summer should contact [email protected] for more details.