SEVENTY four not out from Glamorgan star Billy Root helped Usk CC 1st XI to a 94-run South Wales Premier One home victory over Newport CC on Saturday.

Opener Hugo Caldicott kept up his impressive start to the season with 50 while third man Ollie Rayner fired 52 as they shared a 73-run second-wicket partnership.

Root then joined Rayner to add another 42 (123-3) before the latter holed out.

And the arrival of Harawal Ahmed Wassam saw the pace pick up with an 82-run fourth-wicket stand, the new man blasting 47 off 37 balls including two sixes and three fours, before being caught (205-5).

Former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar also added 25 in a 52-run sixth-wicket partnership with Root, as the Glamorgan man finished unbeaten with Usk reaching 285-6 off their 50 overs.

A 106-run third-wicket stand saw Newport reach 140-2 before the dismissal of Campbell Macmillan for 37, caught Rayner, bowled Matthew Marriott.

And the exit of opener Michael Clayden for 81, lbw to Rayner (167-6), put Usk in the driving seat, with none of the last seven batters reaching double figures, as the city outfit were all out for 191 in the final over.

Matthew Williams took 3-20-6.3, Rayner 3-28-10 and Marriott 2-26-6 to lift Usk above Newport to second.

Usk 2nds won by 119 runs after setting 251-9 away to Machen 1sts, John Newington-Bridges firing 53, Matt Hancock 45, Pat Rodden 33 and Sidharth Ramesh 25.

The visiting attack then steamrollered through the hosts’ batting. dismissing them for 132 in 26 overs, Newington-Bridges taking 3-25-7, and Rodden and Ryan Price two apiece.

The cricket boot was on the other foot for the 3rds though, who lost by nine wickets at home to Blaengarw & Coedely 1sts, who reached 152-1 in 31 overs in reply to 151 all out in 34 overs.

Arvind Aswani scored 33 and Ryan Hancock 25 not out, with the latter also taking Usk’s only wicket.