MONMOUTH Cricket Club's first XI fell just short in a competitive match against Whitchurch-Heath CC's third XI on Saturday, losing by 31 runs. 

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Whitchurch-Heath posted a healthy 209 for 9 in their 40 overs. Monmouth's bowlers worked hard to contain the opposition, with key contributions from Gareth Jones, who took 2 for 32, and Ben Lander, who took 1 for 34. 

Monmouth faced a challenging chase. They lost early wickets, finding themselves at 43 for 4 with the departure of key batsman Paul Brooks, who scored 34 runs. 

A resilient middle-order partnership between Harry Desroy, who scored 57, and Will Hickmott, who added 26, provided hope, bringing the score to 141 for 8. However, despite a late surge from Keay and Atkinson, Monmouth were bowled out for 178 in 37.2 overs. 

Despite this defeat, Monmouth remain in third place in the South East Wales 7 league table with 166 points. 

Monmouth's second XI secured a thrilling victory against Llanarth CC's second XI, winning by 8 runs in a match that went down to the wire. 

After being put into bat, Monmouth set a target of 200 runs, being bowled out in 39.4 overs. The innings was marked by steady contributions, with Kieran Shaw top-scoring with 27, supported by Kit Skailes with 22 and Aled Jones adding 15. 

Monmouth's innings saw a series of quick wickets falling, with the top order struggling. Early setbacks included the dismissal of Simon Kidd and Paul Swingwood, with Kieran Shaw anchoring the innings until the middle order found some stability. 

However, it was the lower order that made crucial contributions, pushing the score to the 200-run mark. 

Monmouth's bowlers kept the pressure on, with Aled Jones delivering a standout performance, taking 3 wickets for 37 runs. 

Despite a late surge from Humphrey Myrddin Evans, who remained unbeaten on 23, Llanarth fell short, ending their 40 overs at 192 for 9. This result leaves Monmouth sixth in SEW 12E. 

Monmouth’s third XI emerged victorious with a 38-run win against Malpas CC's third XI. 

Opting to bat first, Monmouth posted 124 for 9 in their 40 overs, with the innings steadied by Andrew Dobbie, who top-scored with 49 runs. 

Malpas's bowlers, led by Riaz Hassan and Tapan Bhatt, kept Monmouth under pressure. Hassan's economical spell yielded 2 wickets for just 10 runs, while Bhatt also claimed 2 wickets. 

In their chase, Malpas struggled to gain momentum. Jake Simpson delivered an impressive performance, taking 4 wickets for 27 runs, and was ably supported by Tom Russell, who also took 4 wickets for 11 runs. 

Malpas were dismissed for 86 in 21 overs. The 18 wides conceded by the bowlers provided some additional runs for Malpas, but it was not enough to challenge the Monmouth total. 

Monmouth faced Ruardean Hill midweek in the Forest of Dean Hundred League, resulting in a seven-wicket loss for Monmouth. 

After choosing to bat, Monmouth posted 112 for 6, with contributions from Peter Keay and Jake Teague. 

Ruardean Hill successfully chased the target, scoring 113 for 3, led by Aaron Underwood's 47. Monmouth's bowlers, including Peter Keay and Osian Jones, managed to take a wicket each but could not prevent Ruardean Hill from comfortably reaching the total. 

Elsewhere, Chepstow CC fell short against Penarth CC, losing by 59 runs. Penarth set a daunting target of 284 for 7, with Sai Kamuni leading the charge with an unbeaten 122. 

Chepstow's response was led by Aaron Jones, who made 45, and Harry Hughes, who added a brisk 16. Despite these efforts, the team struggled against Penarth’s bowlers and were eventually restricted to 225 for 8, handing Penarth a decisive win.