A SUPERB 173-run second-wicket partnership between third man Hugo Caldicott and opener Elliott Doyle helped Usk CC 1st XI to 296-3 off 50 overs in their South Wales Premier League home clash with Cowbridge on Saturday.

Skipper Doyle scored 79 before finally being bowled (175-2), including 11 fours. And Caldicott then completed his ton, scoring 108 before falling to a catch (248-3) with his knock featuring 12 fours. 

Mika Ekstrom added a whirlwind 55 not out off 33 balls, smacking seven fours and a six, with former Qatar skipper Tamoor Zafar hitting three fours in a 13-ball 22 not out.

Cowbridge scored 30 without loss in reply before Freddie Wolfenden bowled Carwyn Jones for 21, and Matt Williams then snapped up a catch off a Ben Jones delivery to see off opener skipper Jack Cropper for six without further addition (30-2).

Jones trapped Tom Williams lbw for five (38-3) and Ali Haider soon holed out to Doyle for Wolfenden’s second wicket (41-4).

But Cowbridge fought back, Jonny Lawrie and Salman Saeed adding 75 before the former holed out to Doyle off a Zafar ball after a supportive 19 (116-5). 

Another good 73-run partnership followed, as Saeed notched his half century before Matt Williams provided a catch for Henry Woolf to dismiss him for 89 (189-6).

Zafar then struck to bowl Bilal Abas for 13 (204-7) and a Doyle run out of Theo Waller for 33 shortly afterwards (209-8) spelt the end, as a Ben Jones run out and Wolfenden’s third wicket ended the visitors’ innings on 240 all out for a 56-run Usk win that lifts them to fifth.

Wolfenden took 3-51 off 9.3 overs, Ben Jones 2-40 off 10, Zafar 2-37 off 10 and Williams 1-49 off seven.

The 2nds won by nine wickets at Abercynon in South East Wales Four after dismissing them for 131 in the 32nd over, Dan Cordell taking 3-1 off 3.5 overs, backed by Theo Barker and Gabriel Warwick with two apiece.

Usk needed just 23 overs to knock off 133-1 in reply, Sidharth Ramesh scoring an unbeaten 70 and Matt Hancock 35 not out.

But the 3rds lost by 153 runs in Division 10 at home to South Wales Sri Lankan CC, who amassed 301-8 off 40 overs, opener Krishanga Dilhan Jayawardena firing 105, with Neil Perrett taking four wickets and Ross Price and Henry Allott two apiece.

The hosts were then all out for 148 in 29 overs, Julian Sanders scoring 22 and Sam Rodden 21.

Matt Hancock scored 68 not out as Usk’s Friendly XI were all out for 137 at home to Taw CC the following day, with the Cardiff side rattling off 138-1 in 23.5 overs to take the win.

Gareth Ansell hit 16 fours and a six in a 133-ball 134 as Chepstow 1st XI ran out 101-run winners at Clydach in the South Wales Premier League.

Kieran Krishnan also scored 45 as the visitors set a 50-over target of 256-9, before Kameel Sahabdeen took four wickets, Lewys Jones three and Ollie Rayner two to help dismiss the Swansea side for 155 in 39.5 overs.

Jamie Rayner and Tom Franklin shared an amazing first-wicket partnership of 282 for the 2nd XI in SEW Five, as the former whacked derby visitors Sudbrook 2nds for an unbeaten 156, including 20 fours and a six, and the latter 115, including 13 fours, in a 45-over 314-1.

The Caldicot side then slumped to 8-4, and were all out for 107 in the 33rd over, Bruno Chitnis and Josh Tregaskes both taking three wickets and Filip Chitnis two in a 207-run win.

The 3rds also won by nine wickets away to Llanarth 2nds in Division 12E, dismissing the hosts for 125 in 38 overs, with Paul Phillips taking 5-24 off eight overs and Kai Taylor and Oliver Sapsford two apiece.

Will King scored 43 and Andrew Spencer 29 for Llanarth, before the visitors needed just 17.5 overs to reach 126-1, Ricky Sahabdeen firing 12 fours and a six in an unbeaten 84.

Penallt & Redbrook scored the winning runs with a ball to spare in a nail-biting two-wicket win away to Redmarley 2nds in Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest One West.

Ross Williams took two wickets as the hosts compiled 180-9 off their 40 overs before the cross border side reached 182-8, Liam Hurcombe scoring 42, Graham Emerson 21, Tim Swanson 26 and Myles Ruck 20 not out.

St Briavels lost by 40 runs away to Dymock 2nds in the same division, all out for 165 after dismissing the hosts for 205.

Neil Smith and Geraint Reynolds took three wickets each for the visitors, and Stuart Williams and Nathan Meredith two apiece, while David Crozier scored 53 with the bat.

But the 2nds lost by 204 runs at home to Aston Ingham 3rds in Two West, all out for 81 after the visitors racked up 285-4 off 40 overs.    

Goodrich skipper Sam Griffiths hit 82 as the Wyeside village outfit beat Luctonians by five wickets in Marches One. Neil Price and Matt Young took two wickets each as the visitors were restricted to 177-6 off their 45 overs.

And Joe Griffiths with 38 not out and Joe Provis 15 not out took Goodrich past the winning line in the 32nd over with 181-5.