BEN Pilot again flew high for Monmouth 1st XI on Saturday, cracking an unbeaten 117 off 83 balls as they beat visitors Porth by 58 runs to go second in South East Wales Division 7.

Batting No 3, his superb knock featured four sixes and 10 fours and included a 92-run third-wicket stand with Matthew Jones, who scored 34.

Openers Ben Lander with 24 and Paul Brooks 23 also contributed as the hosts reached 272-8 in their 40 overs.

Peter Keay then secured an early wicket to leave Porth 20-1, but the rest of the visitors' top order fought back with scores of 60, 49, 39 and 19 and things looked worrying for Monmouth when they reached 171-3.

But a Gareth Hughes catch off a Ben Lander delivery sparked a run of four wickets for only six runs, leaving them 177-7.

Two more wickets for the addiition of just 18 more runs effectively sealed the deal, although Porth saw out their overs without further loss reaching 214-9.

Lander took 3-25, Brooks 3-31 including a caught and bowled, Keay 2-31 and Pilot 1-44.

On a day when Monmouth put out four teams, hosting a friendly game alongside their three league fixtures, the 2nds missed out by four wickets away to Bay Dragons 2nds in Cardiff.

The lack of one sizeable score cost them, despite a spirited late 29 not out by skipper Neil Saunders coming in at 10, alongside 23s for Andrew Dobbie and Keiron Shaw, as they posted 189 all out in 39.3 overs.

Dragons then fired their way to 193-6 in 27.3 overs, Benjamin McCluskey starring with the ball with 3-15, backed by two wickets for Shaw and one for Callum Uttley.

Set 218-9 away to Miskin Manor 4ths, the 3rds recovered from 5-2 to reach 60 without further loss, but then crashed to 60-5 and were all out for 110 in the 31st over.

Jacob Deighton, Jude Eckley, Jack Mallen and Charlie Mallen took two wickets each for the visitors, while Simon Kidd hit 50.

The Frienldy XI lost out by 25 runs at home to Malpas 3rds in an entertaining game, Andrew Hurd taking four wickets and James Nayager and Megan Maguire one apiece as the visitors posted 241-6 off 30 overs.

In reply, Barry Jones hit two sixes and six fours scoring 51 before retiring not out, backed by Hurd with 47 not out, Ella Jones 25 and Shannon Maguire 18, as Monmouth reached 216-5.

But in midweek, the Monmouthshire Menaces made hay clattering Goodrich by 10 wickets at home to go second behind Cinderford in the Forest Hundred Ladder.

The visitors scored what looked a reasonable 135-3 off their 100 balls, Andrew Brown firing 52 and Jack Lewis 30 out out.

But the Monmouth openers had other ideas, Ben Lander blasting 69 off 36 balls, including four sixes and seven fours, and Matthew Jones 48 off 30 balls, including six fours, as they raced to 139-0 with 26 balls to spare.

Elsewhere on Saturday, an amazing five wickets for eight runs from Penallt & Redbrook CC's Kamaal Mitha, backed by four wickets from Graham Emerson and a Shane Claridge run out, skittled hosts Westbury for just 87 in 21.3 overs on Saturday.

The cross-border Wye Valley villagers then raced to 89-2 in 19 overs to take the Gloucestershire 8A victory, skipper Guy Adams scoring 30, Liam Hurcombe 25 not out and Cameron Lee 20.

Division leaders St Briavels were set a reasonable 211-7 40-over target by visitors Highnam Court, but an opening stand of 174 between Tyrone Hoskins who fired 101 and skipper Will Peters saw them comfortably in sight of the line.

The latter went on to score 67 not out with Nathan Meredith 30 not out as they reached 215-1 with seven overs to spare.

Monmouthshire Menaces host Lydney on Wednesday night (June 25) at the Sports Ground in the Forest Hundred.

Saturday’s (June 28) fixtures include – Sully Centurions 2nds v Monmouth 1sts, Monmouth 2nds v Abercynon 2nds, Monmouth 3rds v Porth 2nds, Penallt & Redbrook v Churchdown 2nds, Aston Ingham 3rds v St Briavels.