HENRY Breeze put the wind firmly in the sails of Monmouth CC's title tilt, as the opener's 54 off just 29 balls helped the South East Wales 7 leaders to a 126-run win over fourth-placed hosts Porth on Saturday.

He also took three wickets in just eight balls to end the Porth innings, with victory for the already-promoted Wyesiders leaving them top by nine points from Taw with one game left.

Scottish skipper Peter Keay will be bidding to write his name into club history when his table-topping side host basement side Sully Centurions 2nds in their final match this Saturday.

He could become only the fifth person in the club’s history to skipper Monmouth’s 1sts to league title success, following in the footsteps of Dave Wilding, Paul Swingwood, Dan Head and Adam Roberts.

Breeze took on the hosts' attack from the off scoring the lion's share of an 88-run opening partnership with Gareth Jones who made 18.

Breeze departed a few balls after Jones, having fired three sixes and seven fours, and Osian Jones with 37, Ben Pilot 33, Matt Jones 21 and Peter Keay 14 saw Monmouth to 225 all out in 35 overs.

Porth lost their opener for a single run to Eddie Atkinson (1-1) but recovered to reach 32, before two Keay wickets and a Pilot run out reduced them to 37-4.

They fought back to reach 87, but Pilot and Breeze with three wickets each from just 3.2 overs then ran amok, taking the next six wickets for just 12 runs, including three ducks, with Porth all out for 99 in just 19 overs.

And Monmouth will be bowled over on Saturday if they can secure the title, following in the footsteps of the previous title winning teams from 1990 (Gwent League Premier Division, captain Dave Wilding); 2003 (Marches League Division 1, captain Paul Swingwood); 2004 (Marches League Division 1, captain Paul Swingwood); 2005 (Marches League Division 1, captain Dan Head); and 2018 (South-East Wales League Division 2, captain Adam Roberts).

The 2nds also won by six wickets at home to SEW 12 second-placed Bay Dragons 2nds, dismissing the visitors for 172 in 35 overs before reaching 173-4 in 31 overs in reply.

Dragons were actually 56-7 at one point before tailend 66-run and 38-run partnerships.

Harry Desroy took three wickets for only 11 runs off five overs, backed by Sam Brennan and Rich Cotton with two wickets apiece and solo strikes for Tony Brennan, Aled Jones and Joe Walton.

And despite the tailend fightback, the hosts had little trouble reaching the target, skipper Neil Saunders firing 42, backed by Desroy with 30, Andrew Dobbie 31 and Matthew Williams 30, with the win leaving Monmouth third.

And to complete a great weekend for the club, the 3rds also won by five wickets at home to Blaina 3rds.

Blaina scored a decent 255-5 off their 40 overs, Charlie Mallen taking three wickets, including an opener for a duck, and Ieuan Jones and Nye Jupp one apiece.

But Monmouth failry raced to 256-5 with nearly 10 overs to spare, Harry Coulthard cracking 87, Paul Mallen 79 not out, Jones 22 not out and Harry Williams 19, with the win lifting the hosts above their opponents to 10th in SEW 15.

A Hundred friendly in midweek at Huntley went the way of the hosts however by 61 runs, scoring 177-2 ahead of Monmouth's 116-6, Benjamin McCluskey making 25 and Peter Keay 23 for the visitors.

Fixtures this Saturday (August 30) include – Monmouth 1st XI v Sully Centurions 2nds, Abercynon 2nds v Monmouth 2nds, Shalom 1sts v Monmouth 3rds.