Abergavenny Cricket Club 1st team win at Whitchurch Heath by 5 wickets

Saturday saw Abergavenny Cricket Club’s first team travel to Whitchurch-Heath for an attempt to record a first league win away from home in over a year.

After a delayed start due to rain, skipper Geraint Leach won an important toss and in muggy and damp conditions elected to bowl first.

With the game reduced to 45 overs per side, the Abergavenny bowlers started well with David Clarke getting the first wicket with the score on just four.

A nine over spell from Adam Harrison going for 20 runs built pressure on the Whitchurch Batsmen who struggled to play the swinging ball in tough batting conditions.

Back bowling from a long term shoulder injury, Dan Cooke helped to remove the middle order with three wickets in an exciting spell of seam bowling.

This was backed up by good fielding from an Aber side playing with good intensity and ruthlessness.

Whitchurch were bowled out for 130. The Aber chase got off to a shaky start by losing a wicket in the first over.

A fifty partnership from Will Glenn and Morgan Bevans then steadied the ship, casting away any doubt in what should be a straight forward run chase.

With both batsmen failing to see out the victory, the Aber middle order had to chip in to knock off the remaining runs, which included a very mature and measured innings of 34 not out from Lewis Holley.

The win came in the 28th over for the away side, finishing on 131-5 and taking Aber to second in the league.

Aber first team head on the road again next week for three weekend fixtures, including Newport in the Macey Cup on Friday, Rogerstone in the league on Saturday and Cardiff in the second round of the Welsh Cup on Sunday.