MONMOUTH Cricket Club First XI were left frustrated by the rain on Saturday in their Division Three South East Wales Cricket League fixture at home to Llantwit Fardre, racking up an impressive 232-3 off 34.5 overs before heavy rain put an end to the match.

After losing the toss the visitors asked Monmouth to bat first on yet another outstanding-looking wicket, despite the previous evenings heavy rain. However, it was the visitors with the early smiles as in form opener Josh Grey fell for a duck off just the second ball of the innings thanks to an excellent low catch at mid wicket off the bowling of Llantwit captain Stuart Clarke (1-23).

However, Matt Jones (59) and Henry Breeze (123) rebuilt the Monmouth innings with great maturity and took the score to 137 before Jones was caught on the boundary after completing his third successive half century of the season.

Breeze though was not so generous and he punished some wayward Llantwit Fardre bowling in his 88 ball innings, hitting some 17 fours and two sixes as the ball disappeared to all parts of the Sports Ground.

With Llantwit heads dropping, Adam Roberts (45 not out) continued the onslaught as the clouds closed in, and saw Monmouth over the 200 run mark, and in doing so ensured maximum batting bonus points which proved vital as shortly after, with the score on a healthy looking 232-3 off 34.5 overs, the heavens opened for a second time in the day and ended the match as a contest.

Despite the washout, Monmouth did pick up 10 points for the abandonment and with everyone else failing to play in Division Three they have stretched their lead at the top of the division to six points. Next Saturday the side travel away to newly promoted Crumlin in what promises to be a tough encounter for a 1pm start.