HEAVY rain washed out Monmouth Cricket Club 1sts’ promotion hopes in South East Wales 6 on Saturday.

Needing a victory to keep their promotion challenge alive, Monmouth’s final league match at home to rivals Panteg 2nds was abandoned without a ball bowled.

While both teams collected five points, the outcome didn’t benefit either side and Monmouth finished fourth (246 points), and Panteg third (247 points).

With Cardiff-based TAW having already won the league title, in-form Vale 2nds clinched the second available promotion place in the only match in the division that survived the deluge, bagging 18 points from an emphatic nine-wicket home triumph against Upper Rhondda.

Peter Keay’s Monmouth 1st XI, sponsored by Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, ended 2026 with a decent record of 10 wins and five defeats from 18 league matches following a Division 7 title-winning season in 2025.

Although a disappointing and frustrating finale to this summer, Keay’s side congratulated Corntown-based Vale and TAW on their promotions.

And the season will go down in the club history books, following a record 417-3 against Penarth 3rds last month, set up by Ben Davies’ hard-hitting 190 at the Sports Ground, and Forest Hundred final victory on their home ground against Lydney in July.

Final positions in Division 6, top four: 1 TAW 301 points, 2 Vale Seconds 262 pts, 3 Panteg 2nds 247 pts, 4 Monmouth 246 pts.

Meanwhile, Monmouth 2nds rounded off their Division 12 programme with an eight-wicket defeat in a 20-overs-aside match at high-flying Lisvane 4ths.

But, more importantly, Andrew Dobbie’s side retained their status, finishing 13 points and one place above the relegation zone.

Lisvane picked up a maximum 20-point haul from the reduced overs clash at Cardiff’s Llandaff Fields to pip Monkswood & Panteg 3rds to the second promotion place.

In the only match played in Division 12, Jake Teague (38) and stand-in skipper Gareth Jones (21) provided the bedrock of Monmouth’s 141-7 with an excellent opening partnership of 61.

Teague cracked four boundaries and two sixes in his rapid 26-ball knock, while Kit Skailes (13), teenager Charlie Mallen (11 not out) and Joe Walton (11) all contributed in Monmouth’s 20-over innings.

Abin Thomas (2-29) and Lisvane’s stand-in captain Karthik Subramanyam (2-28) were their most successful bowlers in the soggy conditions.

After the interval, Joe Walton (1-15) and Gareth Jones (1-28) bagged a wicket apiece for Monmouth.

However, Lisvane powered towards the target which eventually secured their promotion, Shafiq Hassan (59 not out from 43 balls), Jospeh Sebastian (38) and Steve Chapman (17) all combining to spark some jubilant victory celebrations in 15.5 overs.

Despite Monmouth’s defeat, Walton took a catch and there were bowling spells from Aled Jones, Monty Clarke, Skailes, Charlie Mallen, Ieuan Jones and Neil Saunders.

The 2nds concluded their season in seventh place with seven wins and eight losses from their 18 fixtures.

Meanwhile, the captains and players thanked Joe Atkinson (1st XI), club chairman Mike Maguire (2nd XI) and Philip Vaughan-Smith (3rd XI) for tremendous support in scoring the three Saturday senior teams during the summer.

Elsewhere, Llanarth 1sts managed to play their final game away to Llandaff 3rds in SEW 5, scoring 150-4 off a reduced 25 overs, Will Heath firing 46, Chris Bridges 39 and Sam Michell 28.

But the hosts cracked 153-3 in 20.2 overs in reply, Tom Heath taking two wickets, leaving Llanarth fourth.