LESS than one point separates Chepstow CC Firsts from Division One leaders Blackwood Town CC after a fine match at Mathern Road which saw the home side thrash Malpas.

The deficit means Chepstow go into their final four league matches needing to win every game and every bonus point, while hoping Blackwood slip up.

Chepstow did everything right on Saturday with skipper Jason Dobbie winning the toss and deciding to bat first.

Opening partners Carwyn James and Gareth Ansell were again in commanding form and after a fairly cagey first half an hour they crossed the boundary 16 times between them, with James hitting one maximum in the process.

James was the first to fall on 86, caught by Peter Mason off Benito Carnevale’s bowling with 154 on the board and Dave Teague joined Ansell to make 27 before being trapped lbw by Carnevale.

Ansell battled on with Tyler Morgan-Huggett, finally succumbing on 81 when Carnevale held a catch off Christian Rose’s bowling.

With the scoreboard showing 229-3, Morgan-Huggett hit five boundaries and one maximum before being clean bowled by Rezwan Hassan for 52.

His partner Oliver Thornhill hammered three sixes and one four to finish the innings on 44 not out with David Bennett on 2 not out, taking Chepstow to 304-4 in the allotted 50 overs.

Carnevale (2-56), Hassan (1-30-1) and Rose (1-67) were Malpas’ successful bowlers.

In reply, Malith Madurasinghe and Dobbie removed the first three batsmen for just two runs and although David Martin and Scott Archer offered resistance, Tudor Morgan-Huggett, Dave Teague and Tim Rees, with 4-29 including three maidens in his seven overs, took the bowling honours as Malpas stuttered to 138 all out with just over six overs unused.

Dobbie returned bowling figures of  2-11 with five maidens in his 10 overs, while Tudor Morgan-Huggett (2-26-2-7.3), Madurasinghe (1-23-3-6) and Teague (1-23-1-10) mopped up the remaining wickets.

In their remaining matches, Chepstow visit Croesyceiliog this Saturday (August 15th), entertain Pontypridd on August 22nd, and end with two away games, at Abergavenny on August 29th and local rivals Sudbrook on 5th September.

Blackwood visit Abergavenny this Saturday, face Sudbrook at home on the 22nd, visit Usk on the 29th and finish with a home match against Newbridge on 5th September.