SPIN king Tamoor Zafar claimed six wickets and opener Elliott Doyle hit 54 in a commanding 124-run win for Usk 1st XI over Tondu on Saturday.

Doyle formed an opening 90-run partnership with Olly Robson to set the South East Wales Division One leaders off to a great start in the home fixture.

And Zafar then helped skittle out Tondu with a sensational 6-17 off nine overs.

Robson scored 33 in the Usk innings before Matt Hancock took over with 41, followed by Oscar Watkins with 29 and Ryan Jones with an unbeaten 36 as the hosts compiled a competitive 240-6 off their 50 overs.

Usk’s bowlers put the Tondu batters under pressure from the off, with former Qatar skipper Zafar helping limit the last six batsmen to just 13 runs off the bat.

Three of Zafar’s victims went for ducks with the visitors all out for just 116 in 37.1 overs, as Usk secured a 124-run win.

Aled Burkitt cracked 76 for second-placed Usk 2nds in a five-wicket Division 4 win away to Sudbrook 2nds.

The hosts set 225-8 in their 40 overs, Joe Peacock starring with the ball with four wickets, backed by Jarrod Bluck with two.

In support to Burkitt, Usk skipper Arvind Aswani weighed in with 32, Amit Aswani with 28, Jamie Jones with 38 and Bluck with 18 as they then reached 226-5 with eight balls to spare.

The 3rds made it a hat-trick of Saturday wins away to Newport 4ths in Division 10, Dave Harding-Smith striking a magnificent 112 not out, including 17 fours and two sixes in their 216-6 off 36.4 overs.

He was backed by Harry Goddard with an unbeaten 40, who had earlier claimed four wickets while Harding-Smith took three as Newport were dismissed for 215 in 39.5 overs.

The club’s clean sweep helped ease the disappointment of the 1st XI’s Friday night Macey Cup T20 Area final loss at home to Newport.

The city side scored 164-5 off their 20 overs, Mika Ekstrom taking three of the wickets for 27 off his four overs.

But Usk were quickly 17-5 in reply and only some rearguard defiance from skipper Ben Jones with an unbeaten 23, Ryan Jones with 21 and Matt Hancock with 18 lifted them to a more respectable 114-9 at the end of the allotted overs.

Meanwhile, Llanarth 1st XI lost a tight clash at Blaina by just two wickets as the hosts reached the target with nine balls to spare in Division 5.

Opener Ollie Mann top-scored with 56 backed by 10th man skipper Dennis Heath with an unbeaten 28, Will Heath with 24 and Tom Stentiford with 21 as the village visitors set a target of 233 all out in 43.3 overs.

Blaina’s top five batsmen all made runs in reply to inch the hosts over the 200 mark for the loss of just three wickets.

But in a nail-biting finish, Llanarth then took five more wickets for just 13 runs, including two ducks before the hosts squeezed home on 235-8, leaving Llanarth fourth.

Tom Heath, Dennis Heath, Dan Moseley and Stentiford each took wicket braces.

Seconds skipper Nick White fired 65, fellow opener Dave Myatt 37 and Jon Despontin 33 not out as they set high-flying Cardiff Kitts a target of 195-8 off 40 overs at home in Division 11.

But Kitts reached 199-4 in 32 overs, with Benjamin Holley taking two of the wickets and Arthur Myrddin-Evans and Harri Williams one apiece as Llanarth stay eighth.

Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest Division 1 West leaders Penallt and Redbrook stayed on top without padding up, bottom side Upton St Leonard conceding.