Teenage opener Matthew Jones carried his bat for 81 in Monmouth Cricket Club's crushing 135-run home win over Dinas Powys in the Thomas, Carroll Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League Division Three.

Paul Swingwood's third-placed team picked up a maximum 20-point haul last Saturday (7th July) in a match which started at 3.30pm and was reduced to 30 overs-a-side owing to rain.

It was the only match which survived the wash-out in the entire Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League.

And the fact the game was played was testament to the herculean efforts from groundsman Gordon Grey, vice-captain Dan Risk and Richard Shaw.

The trio worked tirelessly on the pitch and outfield on Saturday morning after the deluge during the previous 24 hours had saturated the ground.

The club's new Bowcow Bowdry water clearance machine,  bought with SWALEC Development Fund support, collected two full tanks of standing water from the square and made play possible.

When the action finally got under way after a two-and-a-half hour delay, Jones hit six fours in his 77-ball knock and provided the backbone of Monmouth's 228 for four from 30 overs after the hosts had been put in to bat.

Ben Turner had got Monmouth's innings off to a rip-roaring start, blasting six fours in his breezy 31 from just 18 balls before Josh Grey and Jones continued the run-blitz.

Grey cracked 67 from 49 balls, containing six fours and two sixes, and shared a 110-run stand for the second wicket with Jones.

Tom Vickers made 10 before skipper Swingwood helped lift Monmouth to their final tally with an unbeaten 30.

For more on this report, see this week's Beacon (11th July).