THE mysterious world of Duckworth-Lewis breezed in on the wet weather front as South Wales Premier Two leaders Usk 1st XI faced local rivals Chepstow away.

The rain-affected clash saw the hosts reach 156-5 off a reduced 31 overs, Ollie Rayner scoring 55 and Ben Hope-Bell 45, with Freddie Wolfenden and Richard Rees taking two wickets apiece. 

Thanks to the arcane D-L formula, Usk were then asked to score 25 runs more to win in the same 31 overs, which left some scratching their heads. 

But not to worry for the visitors, as they reached the 181 target with seven wickets left and 10 balls to spare, Oliver Robson top-scoring with 52, backed by Hugo Caldicott with 40 not out, Elliot Doyle 24 and Jamie Jones 23 not out.   

Sixty six not out from opener Matt Hancock guided Usk 2nds to a six-wicket home win over derby rivals Monkswood 1st XI in South East Wales 4, backed by Dave Harding-Smith with 35 not out.

The visitors were restricted to 159-9 off their 40 overs, Adam Malson scoring 40 and Mike Jones 32, as Paul Murphy and Ross Price took wicket braces, before replying with 161-4 off 34.4 overs, Gareth Trumper also with a wicket brace.  

The 3rds scored 197 all out in 35.4 overs away to Penarth 4ths in SEW 10, and missed out by one over as the seasiders replied with 198-3 in 39 overs for a seven-wicket win.

Usk were on the rocks at 5-3, but a superb 110 off 87 balls from Gavin Jones, including 15 fours and a six, guided them to a decent target.

Gethin Thomas then took three wickets, but the first three batsmen all scored half centuries to reach the target in the penultimate over.

James Kellaway hit 101 off 88 balls for Chepstow 2nds as they beat SEW 5 high-flyers Bridgend Town 2nds away by 39 runs. 

Scott Bailey also fired 67 in the visitors’ 247-8 off 45 overs, before Luca Goddard took four wickets and Kellaway and Filip Chitnis two apiece to help dismiss the hosts for 208 in the 41st over, Alistair Dalton left stranded on 86 not out.

The 3rds SEW 12E game at home to Friends Union 1st XI was abandoned after the heavens opened, with the visitors on 56-2.

But Chepstow Casuals tasted 20-over victory in midweek, securing a five-wicket home win over Foresters Yorkley Star with three balls to spare. The visitors were restricted to 136-5 before Liam Hurcombe cracked 53 not out, backed by Dan Edmunds with 33, to help the hosts reach 138-5.

Llanarth 1st XI needed three runs off the last over with three wickets left at home to Hopkinstown in SEW 5 after opener Ollie Mann fired a brillaint 124, including 15 fours and four sixes.

But they couldn’t score until the last ball, Dan Moseley scrambling a single only for Gary Holley to be run out in an agonising one-run defeat.

The visitors scored 240-7 off their 45 overs, Holley, Dan Moseley and Will Heath taking two wickets apiece. And Llanarth were then denied at the death, paying for a run of four ducks in the middle order despite Mann’s heroics and 57 from Paul Gittins.

Robert Symes cracked 69 not out as hosts Penallt & Redbrook won the Wye Valley derby by eight wickets against St Briavels in Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest 1 West.

In a rain interrupted match, Saints scored 169-9 off 28.3 overs, skipper Stuart Williams with 74, and David Garden taking three wickets and Liam Hurcombe two.

And set a revised target of 154 from 26 overs, the cross-border hosts reached 157-2 with 2.3 overs to spare.

Marches One high-flyers Goodrich suffered a 58-run loss at home to mid-table derby rivals Fownhope Strollers in another rain-hit match.

Strollers scored 228-9 off 45 overs, but the hosts, set a revised target of 181 in 30 overs were all out for 122 in 28.1 overs, skipper Sam Griffiths top-scoring with 25.

Llanarth’s women’s softball side also played two recent games at Rogerstone Welfare.

They beat Panteg Flames scoring 89-2 off 16 overs, Jo Holley scoring 12, Sasha vail 11, and Amy Bush and Michelle gittins with 10 apiece, before restricting them to 82-5, Vail taking three wickets.

They also played host side Rogerstone Welfare who set a target of 121-2 off their 16 overs before the visitors reached 96-7, Vail top-scoring with 19, backed by Holley with 11 and Jessica McCarroll with 10.

Chepstow 1st XI host Malpas 1st XI on Thursday evening (July 13) in the semi-final of the Macey Cup, start 6pm, while Chepstow Casuals are in friendly action the previous evening (Wednesday, July 12) playing Tintern CC beside the Abbey.

Cricket fixtures this Saturday (July 15) include – Usk 1st XI v Pentyrch 1st XI, Cardiff 3rd XI v Usk 2nd XI, Usk 3rd XI v Sully Spartans 2nd XI, Cowbridge 1st XI v Chepstow 1st XI, Chepstow 2nd XI v Radyr 3rd XI, Abergavenny 4th XI v Chepstow 3rd XI, Sully Spartans 1st XI v Llanarth 1st XI, Llanarth 2nd XI v Blackwood Town 3rd XI, Miskin manor 3rd XI v Glangrwyney 1st XI, Glangrwyney 2nd XI v Pontymister & Crosskeys 3rd XI, Cinderford St John 2nd XI v Penallt & Redbrook 1st XI, St Briavels 1st XI v Corse & Staunton 3rd XI, Wormelow 1st XI v Goodrich 1st XI.  

Fixtures on Sunday (July 16) include - Llanarth women’s softball v Sudbrook Women’s 2nds and Panteg Flames (both at Panteg).