DINAS Powys Cricket Club’s First XI hosted third place Monkswood at Bryn y Don on Saturday looking for three successive league victories.

Acting skipper Lewie Clarke won the toss and decided to field first on a damp, overcast and breezy day.

Despite another frugal opening spell by Alex Vowles, the Monkswood openers scored freely until the introduction of Upi Singh to the bowling attack.

He took a wicket in his first over thanks to a well taken swirling catch by Ryan Todd.

The same combination struck again soon after, with Singh finishing on 3/27.

Two sharp catches by Jack Preston reduced Monkswood to 135/4 with 12 overs left before Stuart Jones took two well-judged catches in the deep off the bowling of Olly Coughtrey, who finished with his best 1st team figures of 4/30.

A wicket each for Jones and Reuben Mitchell meant Monkswood ended their innings on 201/9.

Dinas had scored 227 and 275 in the previous two matches, but there would be no such repeat this time.

Clarke and Preston were out cheaply, closely followed by Jones, victim of an unplayable delivery which leapt off a length to catch his glove.

The score of 7/3 did not augur well, despite Jason Harries timing the ball nicely on his way to 21.

His departure led to another collapse, leaving Dinas on 36/6 with only pride and the possibility of batting bonus points to play for.

Monkswood medium pacer Kevin Brooks had figures of 4/15 as successive Dinas batsmen came and were caught hitting out.

Vowles with 15 and Bryn Fogden with a patient 20 not out eased Dinas towards their initial target of 100, before some hard hitting by Singh, Coughtrey and Mitchell got the total to 107, leaving Monkswood comprehensive winners by 94 runs.

After the sun and recent heat the Seconds travelled north into the gloom and damp to Monkswood to play their 2nds.

Monkswood elected to field after winning the toss and put Dinas in – a good choice given damp conditions that saw the Villagers slump to 54-6 before torrential rain took the teams off the field.

Unfortunately for Dinas the rain abated enough to get the match back on.

Only two players troubled the scorers enough to reach double figures, as the rain interrupted innings saw the Villagers slump to 99 all out with only Jack Houghton (21) and an unbeaten 12 from Geoff Marlow making the innings even slightly respectable.

Defending that low score was never going to be easy and so it proved as the Monks rattled off 102 in 19.2 overs for the loss of only three wickets, Houghton taking 1-18, Lloyd 1-16 and Morgan 1-20.

The Thirds’ match at Bridgend Town was cancelled due to the poor weather.

League matches on Saturday:

1st XI away v Barry Wanderers (Hayes Point 1pm)

2nd XI home v Sudbrook 2nds (Bryn y Don 12.30pm)

3rd XI home v Sully Spartans (The Common 1pm)