South East Wales Division Three (Second XI) - Pontymister & Cross Keys (116-9) lost to Monmouth Second XI (170-5) by 56 runs

A NEW-look Monmouth Cricket Club Second XI featuring some familiar returning faces made it six wins from seven following a 56-run win away to Pontymister and Cross Keys.

The home side won the toss and put Monmouth in to bat, with the match having been reduced to a 32-over contest due to the rain delay. Monmouth made a positive start despite the scoring conditions being difficult in the early overs due to a damp outfield that slowed the ball down considerably. The visitors reached 52-2 in the ninth over, although the departures of Gordon Grey (9) in the sixth over, returning to the second XI for the first time this season and Chris Chalk (15) pegged the visitors back.

The scene was then set for an 80-run partnership between two returning  Monmouth club players, Jonathan Jones and Andrew Smith, who between them had not played cricket for twelve years. Both just missed out on half-centuries, as Jones (49) whose innings contained eight fours and Smith, who hit six boundaries in his 45, batted with an assurance that made a mockery of their absences.  

When both were out by the 24th over, Monmouth had raced to 134-4 the momentum slowed briefly. However second XI debutant Craig Cook, who hit three fours in a breezy 14, skipper Rick Parkes (12 not out) and Keiran Shaw (17 not out) pushed on to enable the visitors to close on an imposing 170-5 from the allotted 32 overs.

In reply, Pontymister and Cross Keys struggled to get going and were pegged back at the outset by the bowling of Grey, whose impressive away-swing bowling produced five consecutive opening maidens, including a wicket in his second over.

Grey’s miserly spell resulted in figures of 3-8 from seven overs, while at the other end, 13 year-old Tom McNally, making his Second XI debut, impressed with a wicket in his second over and finished on figures of 1-24.

Wickets continued to fall as Parkes turned to his change bowlers, as Aled Hughes (1-22 from four overs) and vice-captain Gaz Hughes (3-15 from four), while Jonathan Jones (1-4 from two overs) also marked his return with a wicket, reducing the home side to 75-9 in the 21st over. There were two catches in the slips for Chalk and catches for Aled Jones, Jonah Jones, a caught and bowled for Hughes, while Keiran Shaw also took his debut caught behind in only his second wicket-keeping appearance.

However, a partnership of 39 from Pontymister’s tenth-wicket pair of H. Hodson and A. Short provided a late rally, despite probing from Cook (0-9 with one maiden) Greg Thomas (0-19) and Parkes (0-7).

The innings was finally bought to an end in the 29th over by the ninth bowler to be deployed, as Smith (1-3 from two overs) gained further rewards from his return to bag the final wicket. 

As a result Monmouth, sponsored by Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, took a maximum 20 points of the fixture to consolidate their hold on second place in the South East Wales Division Three (Second XI) and look forward to entertaining Creigiau next week at home.