A DEVASTATING five-wicket 13-ball haul from Henry Woolf helped Usk 1st XI secure the South Wales Premier 2 title with a 56-run last game away win over Penarth.

Victory and 18 points on Saturday meant they finished the season unbeaten and 13 points clear of Pentyrch, who were also promoted to the top flight after a nine-run home win over Swansea outfit Clydach.

Inserted by the seasiders after losing the toss, it proved a testing wicket for the table toppers who reached 190-7 in their 50 overs, Mika Ekstrom (40) and Jamie Jones (30) sharing a 53-run fifth wicket partnership.

Sixth man Matthew Williams hit 26 not out, while skipper opener Elliot Doyle notched 20.

Penarth made a good start reaching 76-1 in reply and were looking threatening at 123-4.

But any thought that the target wouldn’t prove enough were suddenly blown away as Woolf’s spell of five wickets for just five runs gobbled up the rest of the line-up in a flash, Ekstrom adding the other wicket as Penarth added just 11 more runs before being skittled out for 134 in the 40th over.

Former Qatar skipper Tammor Zafar had earlier taken two wickets, while Williams and Freddie Wolfenden also took a wicket apiece.

The 2nd XI’s South East Wales Four home game with Whitchurch Heath 2nds was abandoned after 23 overs, the visitors heaving reached 92-2, leaving the hosts fourth.

But the 3rds won by 55 runs away to Bridgend outfit Great Western Railway in SEW 10, to place third.

Arvind Aswani and Damian Harvey joint top-scored with 37, backed by Will Hall-Tomkin with 31 as Usk racked up 160-6 in 35 overs.

And they then derailed the hosts’ reply with six overs to spare, skittling them out for 105 as Neil Perrett speared three tailend wickets for nine off three overs, backed by Julian Smith and Gethin Thomas with two apiece.

Chepstow 1st XI finished fifth in South Wales Premier 2 after their last match at sixth-placed Mumbles was cancelled, and they each shared five points.

But the 2nds took the SEW 5 title with a seven-wicket home win over Croesyceiliog 2nds, needing just 15 overs to dash off 77-3 and overhaul the visitors’ 76 all out off 23 overs.

Llanarth 1st XI needed just 19 overs to overhaul basement hosts Sudbrook 2nds’ 135-6 off 35 overs in SEW 5, a result which leaves them seventh.

Gary Holley and Dan Moseley took two wickets apiece and Dennis Heath two catches. And in reply the village outfit raced to 136-2 for an eight-wicket win, Will Heath cracking 59 and skipper Ollie Mann 54.In a third v second battle, Goodrich lost their final game to Marches One hosts Canon Frome by 62 runs, but held off the challenge of fourth-placed Builth Wells.

Frome scored 220 all out off their 45 overs before the visitors were dismissed for 158 in 29 overs, Harry Porter top-scoring with 42 backed by Ralph Heaven Richards with 26 not out and Jack Lewis with 21. The latter two also took two wickets apiece, while Matt Young took three.

In another third v second battle, the rain stopped Huntley’s reply to hosts Redbrook & Penallt’s 194-9 off 40 overs in Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest Div 1 West.

The abandonment with the Gloucestershire outfit 29-1 off eight overs left the Wyesiders second on 213 points by just three points, with just six points covering them and the next three Huntley, Redmarley and Dymock.

Liam Hurcombe with 61 and Guy Adams 57 not out proved the standout Redbrook & Penallt batsmen in a big mid-order stand, while Myles Ruck took the sole visitors’ wicket.

Highnam Court were crowned champions after a 167-run last day win over St Briavels, who were skittled out for 55 in 22 overs after being set a 40-over target of 222-8 by the table toppers.

But at least the visitors – for whom George Headington took three wickets, and Jason Mosley and Peter Whyard two apiece - stayed one place above the drop zone.

St Briavels 2nds made a better fist of it before going down to a 51-run loss at home to Upton St Leonards 2nds in a bottom v top C/G/F 2 West match. James Buffrey and Jonathan Parsons took three wickets apiece and Chris Higgs two as Upton scored 178 all out off 39 overs.

The hosts lasted the same number of overs in reply, but were all out for 127, skipper opener Pete Kitching top-scoring with 43, backed by Matt Barnby with 26 and Parsons with 25.