09/09/2026
Following on from yesterday’s season review for the 4th XI, here is our review for the 3rds:
With Will Milburn captaining for a sixth consecutive season, the 3rd XI embarked on another campaign in Division 8 and quickly showed they would be a force to be reckoned with.
The season began positively against Radyr. Runs throughout the top order, with Alun Jones leading the way with 79, helped us post 253-4 before rain denied what looked a likely victory.
A tense three-run win over Dinas Powys followed, courtesy of some excellent death bowling from Ioan Richards. The fact we had 219 to defend owed much to the lower-order efforts of Sewell, Shazaib and Dan Watkins. Another victory against Pontnewynydd soon followed, with Milburn and Richards leading the chase.
Then came a reality check. Sully Centurions 2nds blasted over 300 against us, although the side showed plenty of character in reaching 180 and collecting maximum batting points.
You could never quite trust this 3rd XI. One week the sublime, the next... slightly less sublime.
A memorable day out at Glangrwyney provided plenty of entertainment, if not many league points, before we returned to winning ways against Lisvane. Matt Vanos, Shazaib and Dan Watkins all contributed with the bat before Warren Evans ran through the visitors with a devastating spell of seam bowling, dismissing them for just 96.
Miskin Manor again proved awkward opponents. Michael Richards produced one of the bowling performances of the season, claiming five wickets including a hat-trick, but despite a half-century from Alexander Webb, we fell short in the chase.
July started brightly with back-to-back victories. Harry Phillips, returning to club cricket after several years away from the game, announced himself with an excellent 75 against Radyr. Owen Hopkins was also enjoying his cricket again, contributing a typically aggressive 45 and three wickets.
A week later came one of the standout victories of the season against a strong Dinas Powys side that would lose only four games all year. Harry Phillips and Ed McQuaid laid the foundations before the ever-modest Tom Calverley was on hand to hit the winning runs.
The second half of July was less kind, with defeats to Pontnewynydd and Sully Centurions effectively ending any realistic promotion hopes. However, August belonged to the 3rd XI.
Four consecutive victories showcased exactly what this talented, if occasionally semi-available, group was capable of.
A broken-down roller threatened to see the Barry Wanderers fixture cancelled altogether, but some Saturday morning improvisation moved the game to St Cyres School. Dan Watkins responded by taking his first five-wicket haul for the club, earning himself a tie, before Ed McQuaid and the ever-improving Matt Vanos both finished unbeaten on half-centuries in a comfortable eight-wicket win.
The return of Umar Butt proved decisive against Rogerstone, guiding the side to a nervy two-wicket victory chasing 153.
Then came the gloriously chaotic home game against Glangrwyney, a fixture that probably summed up the season better than any other. We raced to 245-3 inside 30 overs thanks to runs from Donk, Vanos and Milburn before somehow managing to get bowled out. We then allowed Glangrwyney to reach 243-3 before excellent comeback spells from Umar and Hopkins dragged us over the line. Never a dull day with the 3rds.
The final game of the season belonged to the captain. Chasing 209, Will Milburn watched wickets tumble around him but remained unmoved, carrying his bat for a magnificent unbeaten century. U15 Isaac Williams had earlier claimed three wickets, while Shazaib provided valuable support during a partnership that helped secure a three-wicket victory. Fittingly, the day included a trademark Umar Butt direct hit.
The result secured a highly creditable third-place finish and reflected the strength in depth that existed throughout the squad. Matt Vanos's 245 runs at an average of over 40 were a major contribution, while Richard Reed provided consistency behind the stumps and at the top of the order.
With the ball, Richard Hopcraft quietly enjoyed an excellent season, finishing as the side's leading wicket taker and providing regular breakthroughs throughout the campaign. Donk, Webby, Alun Jones and Owen Hopkins all produced match-winning performances, while Ed McQuaid, Harry Phillips and many others made valuable contributions at key moments.
With a little more availability and consistency, there is every reason to believe this side can challenge even harder next season. For now, though, a third-place finish, plenty of memorable victories and no shortage of entertaining cricket should be viewed as a successful and thoroughly enjoyable campaign.
