Blackwood, yep the 2s have their first win on the board, gaining maximum points against Pentyrch at Highfields under the leadership of Adam "Little Felix" Lusardi

With regular skipper Andrew Shelton, holidaying in France it was left to Lusardi to inspire the 'wood to the first victory at Premier Level

Things didn't start off too promisingly with the toss being lost and Blackwood were invited to bat first

Blackwood amassed 264-7 off 50 overs with Fizzy Evans top scoring with 60 including one straight into the clubhouse (literally frightened poor Maria half to death!!), he was ably supported by Callum "Harda" Herring with an excellent 52, the skipper (yep the skipper scored runs this week - no not that one he's away remember!!) chipping in with an unbeaten 40 and Cletus Clark back on form with 39.

Cilla then chipped in with 6 wickets (including a hatrick to wrap the game up with Pentyrch being bowled out for 245 in the 49th over

MOTM - Has to be Rhodri Evans
TFC - Andrew Shelton (hang on he wasn't there)

Unbelievably there had been no rain in Chepstow since Friday lunchtime so we made the long trek and as soon as we stepped onto the field to have a look at the track it started raining!!

It soon stopped and I won the toss for the 2nd time out of 4 (both when I've had to call!!!) and decided to bat on what looked a surprisingly dry and flat track.

Opened up with Dido and Callum and both looked in superb form from the off putting on 75 for the first wicket before Dicky mistimed one and a tubby looking mid-off took a superb one handed diving catch after misjudging it in the wind. Callum quickly followed falling one run short of a deserved 50 and would the inevitable collapse ensue.

Seemingly not as in between a rain break Simone and CJ put on a superb 101 with CJ scoring the bulk of the runs and hitting a fine 69. He now has 200+ runs in 3 games (no offence fella but long may your injury continue!!!)

Dave Fizz Bradley Chesney Darnell Cilla Evans then joined Simone and scored a quick 10 before edging one behind and the skipper doing his 2nd stint in the middle (before anyone says anything, its the only way I cam getting any time out there I know!!) gave him out caught behind despite his protestations that he hit the ground!

Dusty again continued the fine form of this season with the bat and hit a quick 22 which then brought in Nipper who would have opened had he turned up on time. Fortunately he was late though as he did his best to prove Roy Gwilt right about his status as a batsman missing the first two balls before finally getting a bat on one. He then ran himself out or did Simone run him out, which brought Nick Hurley out to the middle with one ball left..... and he was at the non-strikers end!! (sorry Nick!)

We ended up with a mammoth 264-6 off 50 overs

In response Chepstow struggled to 37-3 when the game finally succumbed to the rain after 18.3 overs denying the 'wood their first win of the season. Dusty again bowled superbly, and surely that first team debut is just around the corner, taking 2-12 off 7 overs, well backed up by Dido and Callum

It just wasn't to be

MOTM - numerous to choose from a superb team display
TFC - Nipper
Comment of the Day - Nipper, batsmen plays and misses a few times and Nipper shouts out "He's struggling out here boys I think he needs to phone a friend!!"

Well the Skipper is off to France for the next two Saturdays so I'll be leaving you in the equally capable hands of Little Felix Lusardi

A Shelton (C)
L Kendall (WK)
C Jones
R Matthews
A White
A Clarke
R Evans
N Hurley
J Gwilt
G Jones
C Gwilt

Meet 11:10am sharp

Like Neil, I too cannot say enough about the pride I felt at leading out a Blackwood side in the Premier League, the fact that both the 1st and 2nd Team are both now Premier League teams is a tremendous tribute to everyone who has put in so much hard work into the club both on the field and as importantly off it, a shame that not everybody who put in the work is here to see it...

Anyway, back to the game......

It started off in the way many games have gone under my reign - I lost the toss after Gordon Volke correctly called tails and invited us to bat.

We opened up with Cletus and Tom Darling who were both back in the pavilion with the score yet to get to double figures - welcome to the Premier League boys!!

Young Callum Herring, new recruit from Tredegar and CJ steadied the ship before Harda played down the wrong line and was bowled with the score on 35.

Wodwi briefly joined CJ before retiring hurt with a twisted knee, he was then replaced by Little Felix and some fine hitting from both players took the score onto 120 before Felix came dancing down the track and got stumped for 20. The skipper wasted no time or balls and calmly played a long hop to mid-wicket, much to the derision of fellow players and members of the crowd and young Geoff Ford who called it the worst shot he had ever seen in his life (high praise indeed coming from Geoff who has played some pretty poor shots himself!!)

Nick Hurley soon followed and when CJ went with the score on 155 for a superb 93 it looked like we wouldn't get to 175 and 3 batting points. However, like last season the tale wagged superbly with Bobby Matthews, Fordy and a one-legged Rodders all assisting Dusty White (37 (not out) in getting us up to maximum batting points before Rodders was out in the 46th over for a gutsy 19 with the score on 226.

A superb start to the season from Carol Knott followed before Sudbrook's reply got under way, chasing 227 off 53 overs to win

Sudbrook had reached 12 before debutant Callum bowled a superb inducker and Greg Shaw was on his way for 3. One run later and the skipper took a smart chance at slip off Dusty White who bowled a superb opening spell and was unlucky only to come away with one wicket.

Jamie Shaw joined the other opener and they proceeded to 55 before the opener had his stumps smashed by Bobby who bowled an excellent fiery spell of 10 overs and like Dusty was unlucky not to get more than the one wicket.

At this point the second Blackwood injury occurred as Tom Darling diving on the boundary to try and save a run collided with the fence and promptly dislocated his shoulder. Fortunately Gumpy was able to come on and join Joe Woodland who was subbing for the previously injured Rhodri Evans. Surely this was the end of it but no as Adam Lusardi dislocated his finger behind the stumps after taking a leg side ball from Bobby, landed awkwardly and out popped his pinky (no pun intended!!) My thanks at this point to Ken Woodland who promptly popped it back into its socket and Adam bravely soldiered on.

Geoff 'The Vicar of Dibley Dobley' Ford at the other end bowled a stingy 10 overs and was unlucky to come away wicketless.

After Geoff's 10 overs the skipper decided to give Callum and Dusty another go and Callum removed Watkins LBW for 40 and quickly followed that up with their number 6 going for a duck with another inducker.

At this point Sudbrook were 151-5 and it was all to play for. Richard Lund remained not out through this and appeared to be in with a great chance of denying Blackwood a positive resulty.

Lund and Tom Gibbins moved the score on to 199 when Lund chipped the ball to an empty gully. It looked like the ball would drop safely when the skipper appeared from nowhere and took a superb one handed diving catch to dismiss him for a fine 66 and Sudbrook were 199-6, wanting 28 to win off just under 5 overs with 4 wickets to fall.

Two runs later Cletus ran out Gibbins and it was all up in the air and anyone's game. Gumpy then ran out Norton and surely the game was Blackwood's. When the skipper bowled Clements, Blackwood had one Nick Hurley over to take the last Sudbrook wicket and Sudbrook required 13 runs to win.

The game ended in a winning draw for Blackwood and we achieved 17 points in our first game in the Premier Division and that's something to really be proud of. Thanks to everybody for their efforts and bring on what will be another tough game at St Fagans, next week

MOTM - CJ, closely followed by Dusty White

TFC - would have been the skipper had it not been for the match turning catch, so none awarded this week

injury update

Little Felix - out for a month (cracked bone in his finger
Tom Darling - out for three weeks (dislocated shoulder)
Rhodri Evans - twisted knee ligament (OK for next week - pending fitness test!!)

1. A Shelton (c)
2. G Berry (wk)
3. A Lusardi
4. C Herring
5. Rob Matthews *
6. Ashley White *
7. A Clarke
8. C Jones *
9. R Evans *
10 N Hurley
11 J Gwilt

12th Man T Darling

Other reserves from rest of the squad

* 10am Ground Duty

Meet 11:30