Newport Cricket Club lifted the South Wales Premier League T20 trophy at The SSE SWALEC yesterday after a tense bowl out win against Ammanford and thrilling chase against Bridgend.
The Spytty Park side, who are leading the way in Division One of the Premier League, had to hold their nerve in the semi-final after rain washed out their clash with Ammanford.
Action took place in the indoor school rather than out in the middle with five players from each team bowling two balls each at the stumps.
With Ammanford bowling their two balls first, Newport were soon 2-0 behind but Kam Leverock (2) and Zalmai Ahmadzai leveled matters going into the last pair.
Young Australian Callum Taylor struck the decisive blow for Newport, leaving them 4-3 winners and a place in the final against Bridgend.
The rain stopped for the final, which was reduced to 18 overs a side, and captain Michael Clayden put Bridgend in to bat.
Sam Pearce, who scored an impressive 68 in the semi-final win against Port Talbot looked a real threat, but it was Newport's Kam Leverock who struck the first blow claiming the wicket of Wood (4) with the score on 20-1 in the second over.
Nick Davies joined Pearce and it was looking bleak for Newport as they rattled up the runs at a brisk rate but with the score at 83 off nine overs, Taylor dismissed the latter for an aggressive 44 off 30 balls.
Darren Thomas helped Davies move Bridged to 118 in the 13th over before being bowled by Josh Aston and Newport set about limiting the damage. Aston removed Davies (40 off 36) and just 19 runs were scored from the last three overs.
Ahmadzai, Harry Powell (4 overs for 20) and Aston (2-20) gained the upper hand and the Bridgend total ended on 151-4 off their 18 overs with Dalton run out for 12 with a direct hit by Scott Thornton off the final ball of the innings.
Newport opened with Leverock and Imran Hassan, who quickly showed their intentions scoring a rapid 30 off the first two overs of the innings.
The severity of the opening onslaught took Bridgend by complete surprise and with boundaries being scored freely by some power hitting, Newport had moved to 60-0 off just five overs.
Leverock saw his chance and smashed a further 34 (5 sixes and a four) in 6 consecutive balls, as the game was quickly taken away from Bridgend.
The first wicket partnership was finally broken at 119 off just 9.1 overs, when Leverock was out for an amazing 57 in just 26 balls which included 5 fours and 5 sixes.
With just 33 needed off 11 overs the game was in the bag, Hassan still led the way scoring a fine 60 (11 fours) off 36 balls, before he was out at 133-2 in 11.2 overs.
Michael Clayden (13no) kept the scoreboard ticking over and despite losing two late wickets Newport romped home to victory by six wickets with 25 balls to spare.
The men from Spytty Park now play in the ECB National T20 Area play-offs where they will compete against area winners from West of England, Devon and Cornwall.
Newport will host the next round on Sunday, August 7 (start 10.30am) and the winners of the regional finals progress to the national finals, which are normally screened live on Sky Sports.
Newport: Michael Clayden (captain), Imran Hassan, Kamau Leverock, Matt Norris, Zalmai Ahmadzai, Joe Voke, Scott Thornton, Josh Aston, Ollie Burland, Callum Taylor, Harry Powell