Menheniot visited St Blazey in a back-to-back fixture and winning the toss, elected to bat first on what is normally a placid batting wicket. This proved to be the case as the Menheniot opening batsmen Dave Wiltshire and Bill McLoughlin put on 80 for the first wicket before the former was caught for 37 off 10 scoring shots including six fours and a six.
Unfortunately both openers got bogged down a little against St Blazey's opening bowlers who bowled just short of a length. Jim Harrison came in at number three and soon increased the tempo before McLoughlin was bowled for a steady 44. Jonathan Strand, his father Mike and Michael Maiden assisted Harrison and between them, they took Menheniot's total to 208-4 with 100 runs coming off the last 15 overs. Harrison finished on 77 not out which was a magnificent effort in his highest score for the club.
St Blazey in reply came out with all guns blazing and, after 20 overs, the opening batsmen were 93 without loss. This did not reflect the spin bowling of Lloyd Sluman, who had bowled 10 of the overs for only 19 runs. Unfortunately, St Blazey's batsmen could afford to keep Sluman out as runs came thick and fast at the other end.
At 166-1 from 39 overs, requiring 43 from nine overs seemed a mere formality until Keith Goldsmith came back into the bowling attack. His first four overs have gone for 24 but he took 5-13 off his next 3.3 overs to leave St Blazey needing 18 off the last 2 overs. Unfortunately, Keith Maiden conceded 13 off the penultimate, leaving five off the last over which St Blazey scored, winning by three wicket.s
From being dead and buried, Menheniot resurrected the game, thanks mainly to Goldsmith but then lost it again in a tight relegation battle when they should really have gone for the jugular!
Scores - Menheniot 208-4 (P Wiltshire 37; W McLoughlin 44; J Harrison 77 n.o.; M Maiden 17; R Facey 3-70). St Blazey 209-7 (A Harrison 67; S Downard 69; S Taylor 18; K Goldsmith 5-37).
St Blazey (17 pts) beat Menheniot (8) by three.