Aber maintain unbeaten run (From Free Press Series)

Aber maintain unbeaten run

ABERGAVENNY player-coach Keith Newell is pleased with the way this season's Premiership campaign is panning out for all sides in the league.

The Avenue Road club are now unbeaten in four games after Saturday's win over Pontypridd. Newell urged his men to keep consistency in mind as Abergavenny become ever clearer the dark horses of this year's championship.

"It is a fantastic result. We did very well and I'm really pleased we have kept our run going and kept the pressure on the top. That's all I could have asked," he said after the 51 run victory.

Newell and his brother Jonathan were both absent from the match because they had to attend a wedding so experienced batter Andrew Jones took over the coach's armband.

He produced a blistering display of cricket hitting a sublime 111 aided admirably by Alistair Fury who chipped in 74 as Abergavenny rattled up a whopping 284-4.

"Andrew played very well and batted excellently," praised Newell. "He is highly experienced and the perfect player to take over the reigns when I'm not there." Newell also applauded Fury's biggest first team score this season after coming back into the fold after a stint with the club' seconds.

"He started in the first team when we were short and didn't do quite as well as we thought he should. Credit to him though he went to the seconds to play a couple of games got a century and a 60 and rightfully earned another chance. He's done well with it and I think he'll probably be in the side next week," said Newell.

The former Glamorgan batter went on: "It's all very well having people who say they can bat, but the true test is doing it on the field and Alistair has done that. I know I can hit centuries and Andrew Jones can too. James Hrastelj has also shown he's capable now at the crease. What we have now is a player like Alistair who can fill in with a big score too."

Abergavenny's flurry of wins has seen the First Division champions push quietly up the table while early Premiership title favourites Cardiff and Sully coming unstuck with defeats against Newport and St. Fagans.

Newell admitted there was everything to play for. "A lot of the top teams have been dragged back into the mix recently. The championship is completely open now. I'm very happy with the way results have gone throughout the table.

"The test now is to beat sides we know we're capable of beating and the pulling out a performance the sides we are maybe not favourites against."

But he warned his men should be wary of the challenge posed by the inform St. Fagans.

"They are a side to be feared after beating Sully."

Abergavenny are home to Pentrych this weekend and will be without Andrew Jones who is away for the next three games. The match bats off at 1pm.