Last week’s unseasonably warm weather was as hot as it got for Dinas Powys, with heavy league defeats for the firsts and thirds on Saturday.

The first XI went down by 115 runs at home to Usk Seconds, who were put into bat and smashed 321-3 off 40 overs.

There wasn’t much to shout about for the Villagers in a poor bowling display that yielded no fewer than 53 extras.

A bleary-eyed Sam Marlow took one of the three wickets to fall, which was pretty miraculous given his end of term celebrations had barely ended by the time he took to the field.

Dinas battled in response but were never likely to chase down such a mammoth total, and when Sajan Rana fell for a rapid 71 the game was up.

A more watchful 29 from Olly Hurley, 26 from Calum Harris and 23 for Simon Le Good tipped the home side up to 206-7 at the close.

Dinas Seconds were on top at Abercarn Firsts before the heavens opened.

Dinas opener Kyle Hughes let his batting do the talking this week as he racked up a brisk 50 at nearly a run a ball.

Ryan Herbert (23), James Hiscocks (37) and a late rally from skipper Gaz Evans (42) got the Villagers up to a competitive 208-8 off their 40 overs.

Boundaries were at a premium on one of the bigger outfields in south-east Wales cricket, so it was no great surprise that some of the more lethargic Dinas batters found running between the wickets fairly tough going.

Nathan Bennett, Evans and Tony Clark were by no means a model of athleticism at the tea interval.

In the field, Hywel Owen bowled the spell of the day (2-16) to put Dinas in the box seat, but the rain brought an early end to proceedings with Abercarn 49-2 off 14.

A disappointing end to a much-improved display, which will be fondly remembered as Ian ‘Venos’ Coughtrey’s last game in a Dinas shirt.

After 16 years with the club, fan favourite Venos is moving on to pastures new and it was fitting that his grand finale should also feature his eldest son, Olly, himself a club stalwart.

When asked after the game for his overriding emotion, the answer was “relief” not to have injured himself ahead of his big move. There are, after all, only so many U-bends a man can fix with one hand.

Everyone associated with the club wishes Venos well in his new surroundings, although the Dinas legend lives on through his boys.

Elsewhere on the Common, Dinas Thirds were marmalised by Newport Fugitives Thirds, who ran out winners by 170 runs.

In the field, Nigel Preece, Vishesh Argarwal and skipper Andy Hurley kept the Villagers in the contest with three reasonable eight-over spells, but dropped catches cost Dinas as the Fugies racked up 210-4 off their 40.

The less said about the Dinas reply the better, as the visitors’ opening bowlers tore through the top, middle and lower order in next to no time.

Dinas were indebted to 27 sundries for their total of 40 all out inside 12 overs, an innings yielding five ducks and just 13 runs off the bat.

You would have been forgiven for thinking Ambrose and Walsh had dropped by for a Saturday afternoon up the clubhouse the way the Dinas batters were carrying on after the game, although one of the bowlers was rumoured to have been particularly handy.

A pair of quacks brought Dinas’ favourite twins Niles and Mave Wilton back down to earth with a bump after their recent heroics, and last season’s run machine Gareth Storey’s putrid trot with the bat continues.

This weekend, Dinas Firsts travel to Llandaff Seconds, Dinas Seconds host Sully Centurions Seconds and the thirds visit Sully Spartans Seconds.