USK CC’s 1sts finished fifth in South Wales Premier One after their final league match was scuppered by rain on Saturday, but now have a weekend packed with big cup action.

Saturday (September 6) sees the SWP T20 Cup semi-final at home to Port Talbot, while on Sunday (September 7, start 12 noon) Usk take on Pontarddulais at Vale CC in the Welsh Senior Cup final.

The team beat Colwyn Bay by a single run in a dramatic last-ball Welsh Cup semi-final last month.

Bay needed 12 runs to overhaul Usk’s 201-6 40-over target with one over left, and just two off the final two deliveries.

But bowler Ben Jones and Harawal Ahmed Wassam then proved the heroes, the latter catching Will Higginson for 75 before the former denied his replacement any score, with Bay left high and dry on 200-9.

And having already landed the South Wales Macey Shield earlier this year, they will now be hoping to land the biggest cup prize in Welsh club cricket this Sunday.

Usk 2nds also finished second to Llandaff 2nds to secure promotion from South East Wales 3, squeezing out last weekend’s hosts Blackwood Town 1sts after their match had to be abandoned.

But Llanarth 1sts suffered cruel luck when they were edged out of an SEW 5 promotion spot by a single point by Dinas Powys after leading them by the same margin at the start of the day.

They were awarded six points after reaching 109-3 in 12 overs away to Newport 3rds, Adam Binmore and Chris Bridges firing an unbeaten 36 and 33 respectively.

But Dinas got eight points from restricting visitors Llandaff 3rds to 135-7 in 27 overs.

Cynon Valley 1sts got to 122-3 away to Llanarth 2nds, Andrew Hilditch taking two wickets and Chris Page one, scuppering the hosts’ outside chance of taking a promotion slot in SEW 13 as they finished third.

Monkswood 1sts finished sixth in SEW 4 after their match away to Blaina was called off with the visitors on 47-2.

And Glangrwyney 1sts placed fifth in SEW 8 after reaching 184-3 in 29 overs at home to Whitchurch Heath 3rds before the rain intervened.

Nathan Holley hit 64, Tim Jones 35 not out, Geoff Holmes 25, Nick Jones an unbeaten 25 and Michael Devoy 16.

The 2nds match was cancelled at Miskin Manor, leaving them eighth out of 16 in SEW 13.