MONMOUTH are the Flint & Cook Marches League Division 1 champions for the third successive season after a 47-run win over Talgarth.

In a match played at the picturesque Llanarth ground due to the unavailability of Monmouth Sports Centre, which was required for rugby, the champions piled up a formidable 288-6 from their 45 overs.

Charlie Bye (77 not out), Rob Prewett (69) and Ian Mackinlay (50) all passed the half-century mark for Monmouth while Jon Jones contributed 41.

When Talgarth had reached 117-1 from 23 overs, it looked as though the contest was still in the balance but spinner Aled Jones bowled Glyn Harrhy for 53 in a fine spell of 5-63 in 13 overs.

Although New Zealander Haydn Whiting cracked 66, the visitors' run-chase fell short at 241-7.

Burghill & Tillington clinched second place with a seven-wicket success over visiting Canon Frome who, with a mid-table position assured, reversed their batting order for the day.

This did not, however, appear to impair their run-making abilities as they piled up 239 with Kiegan Vallely 45, Chris Frost (45), Seth Marshall (37) and Marcus Wrinch (31) all contributing useful scores.

Skipper Clive Chadhani (4-47) and Kingsley Morris (2-47) were the most successful home bowlers.

With Frome limiting bowlers to a maximum of three overs, Burghill openers Nick Phelps and M Preece were not unduly troubled by the visiting attack.

The pair put together an opening stand of 208 with Preece hammering 12 fours in his 55 and the prolific Phelps lashing three sixes and 22 fours in his 127.

Phelps' century, his fourth of the campaign, took the 19-year-old's run tally to an impressive 1,010 at an average of 101.

With victory virtually assured, both openers retired from the fray and Chadhani (25 not out) was at the crease when the win was achieved.

Goodrich won the South Herefordshire derby against Wormelow by four wickets with skipper Andy Brown leading the way with a hard-hitting 98.

Chasing 203 to win, Goodrich were pegged back in the early stages as veteran seamer Clive Price (2-30) made a couple of early breakthroughs.

But Brown, who cracked 15 fours and three sixes in his 60-ball innings, joined forces with Phil Evans (31) in a third-wicket stand of 129 to set the home side on the road to victory.

Earlier, wicket-keeper Derek Porter thrashed an unbeaten 42 from just 24 balls to help James Cutler (37) in a stand of 59 for the ninth wicket as Wormelow, for whom Ian Herbert (39) and Tim Boulter (35) also batted well, reached 202.

Garnons ended their season on a successful note with an 18-run win at Glangrwyney.

Veteran Trevor Jones (21), Stuart Griffiths (15) and Sam Bendall (10) were the only Garnons players to reach double-figures as their team-mates struggled to come to terms with Joe Bowker (4-25), Phil Bowker (2-18) and Steve Croucher (2-32).

Garnons were eventually dismissed for just 89 but the home side found runs even harder to come by as they subsided to 71 all out.

Joe Bowker (31) scored almost half of their total but the seam bowling of skipper Jon Andrews (4-6), Alan Jones (2-17) and Andy Brace (2-17) led the visitors to victory.