Monmouth Cricket Club's 'secret weapon' was revealed to more than 200 people at Glamorgan's SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff last week.

Welsh Club Cricket Conference spokesman Keith Spencer, from Llanarth, said that Monmouth's success over the summer had been down to junior coach Tracy Hodgson.

"We welcome, for the first time, Monmouth Cricket Club who have finally decided they are actually Welsh and not English," Spencer jokingly told last Friday's packed audience.

"They have with them their secret weapon, Tracy Hodgson who is a junior coach at the club. "We're delighted to have her here tonight. She is the sister of former England spinner Ashley Giles."

Tracy's brother is now the director of cricket at First-class County Champions Warwickshire and is currently in India in his national selector's role with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Last Friday's dinner in Cardiff was organised by the Welsh Club Cricket Conference in conjunction with the Thomas, Carroll Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League.

First-team captain Paul Swingwood collected the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Division Three title from guest speaker Mike Watkinson, the former Lancashire and England Test player.

And, in the absence of second-team skipper Dave Wilding, vice-chairman and second-team opener Ian Morgan picked up the 2nd XI Division Three runners-up shield.

Monmouth chairman Martin Newell congratulated Sudbrook on winning the Division One title and said he was pleased to have spoken to league chairman Paul Morgan, Cricket Wales' Peter Hybart and Usk stalwart Tony Kear.

Newell said: "Everyone at Monmouth would like to thank Paul Morgan for all his support towards our application to rejoin the Cricket Wales structure earlier this year.

"We were the first club to bisect the Welsh Club Cricket Conference and be put into the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League at Division Three level.

"We are delighted to be playing cricket again in Wales at a very good standard and we want to thank Paul for listening to us and supporting our application despite some opposition."

Newell added that Monmouth had been asked to become a host ground next season for Gwent Under-15 boys representative matches and the club also hoped to host a Welsh youth fixture.

Newell thanked Jon Despontin for driving the mini-bus to Cardiff and Monmouth Town FC for allowing the use of the vehicle for the evening.