ST BLAZEY v

MENHENIOT

MENHENIOT found them-selves in seventh heaven at St Blazey on Monday as they cruised to their seventh straight win to establish themselves firmly at the top of Division One East.

Upon winning the toss, skipper Hugh Rogers asked the home side to bat first on a good looking track. As they have done throughout the season, Menheniot established a stranglehold on the opposition batsmen with some tight bowling and very keen fielding. Jerry Randle was the hero on this occasion, removing the top order of St Blazey with some interesting bowling. It has to be said that he was helped by a stunning one handed catch by Phil Goldsmith in the covers to remove the dangerous Tumer, the likes of which we will probably not see again this season.

Only Nick Carter Snr with 30 showed any real resistance in the home sides top order and if it had not been for a hard hit 32 from Mark Bailey late on, St Blazey's final total of 125 all out in 39 overs would have been a lot less.

Randle with 5 for 65 turned in a fine performance for the visitors, very well supported by the ever reliable Rogers with 4-15 and the luckless Dave Herbert who will bowl a lot worse and record better figures of 1-39.

Menheniot's reply got of to a shaky start to say the least as Danny Lee completed a miserable weekend for him when he pulled a long hop straight to square leg off the first ball of the innings.

Phil Goldsmith followed soon afterwards and when one of Saturday's batting heroes in the shape of Rogers went for a second ball duck, the innings was tottering at 15-3.

However, cometh the hour cometh the man and boy in the shape of Phil Adsett and Alex Tunnadine. These two put on an unbroken partnership of 112 for the 4th wicket to steer the league leaders home with overs to spare.

These two batted with style and determination.Tunnadine looked every inch the class player that he is, hitting some magnificent shots all round the wicket in making 54 n.o. Adsett has been a quality performer for some time now and here he once again showed how to bat responsibly in the face of some hostile bowling, in particular from Carter jnr in finishing with 51 no., to take his weekend tally to 144 runs without being dismissed. This partnership was a joy to watch and only went to emphasise what a strong and determined batting line-up Menheniot now have.

So another fine all-round team performance from the village side. Captain Hugh Rogers is building a team that is playing as a unit and that is becoming hard to beat. This Saturday they travel to Newquay for another game that will test this spirit to the full.

Scorecard

ST BLAZEY

M Bailey c Heddon b Randle.................1

N Carter snr b Rogers...........................30

N Carter jnr c Tunnadine b Randle........9

G Turner c Goldsmith b Randle...........10

M Best b Rogers.....................................4

A Harrison c Taylor b Randle................0

L Best lbw Rogers................................12

A Rogers c Rogers b Randlee................4

M K Bailey lbw Herbert.......................32

J Carter not out.......................................4

D Clancy b Rogers.................................1

Extras.......18

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Total 125

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Bowling - D Herbert 13-1-39-1; J Randle 15-12-65-5, H Rogers 11.1-5-11.

MENHENIOT

D Lee c Harrison b Crter jnr..................0

P Goldsmith b Carter jnr......................11

A Tunnadine not out............................54

H Rogers c L Best b Carter jnr..............0

P Adsett not out...................................51

Extras...............11

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Ttl for 3 wkts 127

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Bowling - N Carter jnr 11-2-39-3, L Best 7-3-26-l J Carter 12-4-32-0,M Best 8-4-21-0.

Menheniot (20) bt St Blazey (4) by 7 wkts.

Menheniot v

Boconnoc

With Menheniot undefeated at the top of the table and Boconnoc still chasing their first win in the new league this appeared to be an easier game for the home side. However, when you have the experienced Andy Taylor in your side you take nothing for granted as he takes care to remind you of the potential 'banana skin" that lies ahead'.

Those words will have been on the home sides minds when, having elected to bat, they had lost both Dan Lee and Alex Tunnadine to the bowling of young Adam Runnals by the seventh over. Menheniot never found themselves behind the run rate as Phil Goldsmith went on the attack and began to look very dangerous. Boundaries and sixes were favourite, although the odd single was taken, and partner Phil Adset could only watch from the other end as one lusty blow sailed over the pavilion roof and went straight through the window of his car, ouch.'

In the 22nd over Goldsmith departed for 52 with the score placed at 91-3. With the dangerous Simon Hunt on a family holiday the visitors were upbeat and felt a possible turnaround in fortunes. Skipper Hugh Rogers joined Adset at the crease and the captains, past and present, set about destroying Boconnoc's chances of a first win and made sure nobody else got a bat into the bargain

The pair amassed a partnership of 214 runs hitting the ball to all corners of the ground and running extremely well between the wickets. The visitors went on the defensive very early with six men on the boundary at the halfway mark. This simply allowed the home side to score a run a ball even when the big shot wasn't on and Rogers and Adset milked the situation to the full.

Rogers ended with a first Menheniot ton (121 no) which included 12 boundaries and 3 sixes. Adset ended on 93no, which continued the excellent form this season has brought and enjoyed scoring big runs against his former club. It was a superb partnership and next man in Dave Herbert watched the score rattle along to 305-3 happy that even in not batting his predicted total of 290 would take the sweep, little did he realise Alex Tunnadine had predicted 300!

Chasing such a big score is never easy and defending it requires concentration. Experimentation saw a new ball partnership of Ian Goldsmith and Nick Carpenter (back home for the weekend) and Menheniot didn't have to wait long for their first wicket. Carpenter, struggling for line and length, surprised Niblet with a quicker ball and Rogers held on to a real stinger at second slip. Goldsmith found some real life in a normally batter friendly pitch and used it to full advantage. He roughed up Sturgess before removing him bowled, and then repeated this feat with Rowse and visiting skipper Mike Blake. Twelve good overs brought returns of 3-39 with never more than two men fielding in front of square!

For the visitors Martin Cook was playing extremely well hitting anything stray and taking full advantage of very positive field settings and some poor catching. His personal target was to remain undefeated and take the visitors to possible maximum batting points. Randle replaced Carpenter at the top end and plugged away without muck luck despite bowling a good line and length and deserving better. Tunnadine tried his leg spin without success and Skipper Rogers brought Dave Herbert into the action. Herbert didn't take long to get in on the act and sent back Williams, Reynolds and Brotherwood all bowled and Andy Taylor produced some quick work to give Herbert his 4th victim as he stumped Lamerton. Tunnadine back on at the top end then claimed two victims as Runnals was caught at gully by Herbert and the last man caught by I Goldsmith at slip.

All out for 158 Boconnoc had Cook to thank for saving them real embarrassment. His enjoyable 98 n.o. provided some life to a fairly dull second half and if he continues to play then Boconnoc shouldn't finish without a win this year. For Menheniot though it was the maximum 20 points and six wins from six although another banana skin lies just around the corner!

Scorecard -

MENHENIOT

D Lee c, b Runnals.................................4

P Goldsmith b Rowse...........................52

A Tunnadine c, b Runnals......................6

P Adsett not out....................................93

H Rogers not out................................121

Extras.....29

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Ttl for 3 wkts 3055

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Bowling - A Runnals 11-0-76-2, P Brotherwood 15-1-69-0, I Rowe 12-1-56-1, M Cook 4-0-17-0, M Williams 3-0-40-0, M Blake 3-0-34-0.

BOCONNOC

K Sturgess b I Goldsmith.....................17

J Niblet c Rogers b Carpenter...............4

M Cook not out....................................98

M Blake b I Goldsmith..........................7

I Rowse b I Goldsmith ..........................1

M Williams b D Herbert......................16

J Reynolds b D Herbert.........................2

D Lamerton st Taylor b Herbert ...........0

P Br otherwood b Herbert......................0

A Runnals c Herbert b Tunnedine.........2

J Schuller c Goldsmith b Tunnadine......0

Extras.........21

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Ttl 158

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Bowling - N Carpenter 5-0-29-1, I Goldsmith 12-2-39-3, J Randle 10-2-30-0, Tunnedine 4.1-0-23-2, Herbert 7-3-20-4, Rosers 4-1-9-0.

Menheniot (20) bt Boconnoc (4) by147 runs.