After rain affected cricket for the third successive Saturday, Chepstow Firsts face eight steps to survival – eight vital matches to save their Premier League status.

Skipper Jason Dobbie has been unable to name a settled side this season due to unavailability of players who played a major role in the club’s promotion to Division Two and its first season following lockdown which saw them finish second.

One of those, wicketkeeper Gareth Ansell, now works in London and is unable to play every week as a result of commitments, while the Morgan-Huggett twins, Tyler and Tudor, now live and play their cricket in Devon.

But Ansell returned to the side on Saturday, top-scoring with 66 from 99 deliveries.

However, apart from Carwyn James’ 25-run contribution in the middle order, the rest of the team fell for single-figure scores.

After being invited to bat first in a match reduced to 34 overs due to the weather, their total of 130-6 was under threat with table-topping Ynystawe needing to score at roughly four runs per over.

But it wasn’t easy as Dave Monk and Luca Goddard removed both openers for just four runs and, although the visitors’ skipper carried his bat with 60, his team-mates failed to make much impression as Chepstow’s bowlers kept up the pressure to the last over.

Lewys Jones (1-11) and Monk (2-17) headed the attack but their fellow bowlers all claimed a wicket, with the visitors clinching victory with five deliveries remaining.

In Division Two East, Chepstow Seconds beat their St Fagans counterparts by 82 runs.

Jamie Rayner top–scored for Chepstow with 44 not out, with Cam Rees (37) and Lloyd Bartlett (32) supporting in a total of 209.

The remaining batters managed only single figures as Chepstow set their hosts a target which they failed to achieve by some margin.