PANTEG’S rope-a-dope campaign continues apace this weekend as they look to continue their seemingly unstoppable ascent up the South Wales Premier, Division Two.

Ian Bird’s side started the season in the inaugural division in horrible form, failing to win any of their opening five contests.

However, they are now unbeaten in eight weeks and have powered up to second in the table.

And last weekend they produced their best result of the campaign to date, beating leaders Swansea on their own track by three wickets to reduce the gap behind the pace-setters to just seven points.

Panteg won the toss and inserted the hosts, bowling them all out for 176, a great effort considering batsman Dwayne Batchelor and Matthew Shepherd both notched half centuries.

And the visitors kept their nerve with bat in hand, skipper Bird in the runs himself, scoring 44 which included two fours and a six with Callum Reid (36) and spinner Lloyd Smith (23) also contributing as Panteg knocked off the runs in 43.3 overs with three wickets in hand.

Next up for Bird’s side is the visit of Tata Steel who suffered a five wicket defeat to Pentrych last time out.

“We did ever so well, we took a wicket with the first ball of the innings but then they were flying at about 60 for 1 and it was all about containment for us,” Bird explained.

“We were missing two key players in John Glover and Adam Harrison and felt like we’d be better off looking to contain with our bowling than set a total and try to defend it.

“But all credit to the bowlers, particularly the spinners. They did a great job and then I got to steady the ship with the batting.

“It was a massive win for us and it does really give us a chance. We want the title and will take each game as it comes.”

In the Premier League, Division One, Newport are still seemingly fighting a losing battle in looking to improve from second in the table.

Newport have actually slipped to third (though just a solitary point behind second-placed Cardiff), and lost ground on leaders Bridgend, after being held to a draw at the weekend by Mumbles at Spytty Park.

The visitors won the toss and set an imposing target of 273-8, with Max Phillips (71), Rhodri Evans (52) and Alex Griffiths (50) all firing half centuries.

That was too big a total for Newport to chase as they failed to retain wickets in hand, despite a superb 105 not out from the red-hot all-rounder Imran Hassan.

Newport did hold on to earn a draw, but couldn’t get past 246-8 off their 50 overs.

In the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League, Division One, leaders Blackwood will be able to take nothing for granted in their Gwent derby with bottom-placed Malpas after suffering a shock defeat last weekend against second from bottom Radyr.

Radyr won the toss and posted 249-9, before stunning the visitors by bowling them all out for 182, despite Callum Herring scoring 62. It was only Radyr’s second win of the season.

That means second-placed Abergavenny are now hot on their heels, having beaten Croesyceiliog by 83 runs last time out, achieved chiefly by a stunning century from Andrew Jones, who scored 16 fours and six sixes on his amazing 142-ball score of 160. They host third-from-bottom Pontypridd this weekend.

The sides in third and fourth spot in the division will both look to add pressure on the leaders with home clashes.

Third-placed Chepstow host fourth-bottom Usk and Newbridge entertain Radyr.

The duo met last weekend with Chepstow establishing some dominance over inconsistent Newbridge, consigning them to a third defeat in four games.

Away side Newbridge scored 238-9 with Gareth Ansell scoring 44, before ripping the hosts apart in the second innings to bowl them out for 160 with spinner Mitchell Harris taking 4-23 off 8.2 overs.

In the other contest in the division, it’s again an all-Gwent affair when the sides in sixth and fifth spot meet as Sudbrook entertain Croesyceiliog.

Sudbrook will seek a better showing than last weekend, when they struggled to a three-run win over bottom club Malpas, who were within a whisker of recording a first win of the campaign.

Sudbrook scored 267-8 but were nearly stunned by the hosts thanks to James Francis scoring 82, but they closed on 264-7 after some impressive late bowling.