CORNWALL’S cricketers got off to a disappointing start in this year’s NCCA Trophy as they were thrashed by nine wickets at Dorset on Sunday.

The Duchy headed to Wimborne with a new-look side not helped by the absence of skipper Paul Smith (family commitments) and pro Will MacVicar who was running the London Marathon.

After being sent in by the hosts, Cornwall soon lost opener Karl Leathley for just four, while debutants Chris Dent (ex-Gloucestershire) and Oscar Coleman (Somerset Seconds) fell for five and nought respectively to Matt Burton who single-handedly reduced the visitors to 37-3.

Debutant Charlie Mumford – a former Hampshire Academy player and a student at the University of Exeter – was in a different league as he raced to 56 which included 10 fours and a six, before he holed out to long-on with the score at 90.

Alex Bone reached 18 in good time before being caught at short third-man on the reverse sweep, while stand-in skipper Alfie Macdonald dug in for 28, eventually falling to a beauty to left-arm spinner Mohammed Abbas who ended with 4-36 from his 10 overs.

Grampound Road skipper Tom Orpe batted superbly for his 42 from number seven in an innings which included seven fours, but nobody could stay with him long enough, and he was the last man out when he was run-out after being sent back by number 11 Ryan Tonkin.

It meant Cornwall required a dream start with the ball and although Tonkin trapped Finn Gordon lbw with 27 on the board, the hosts knocked off the rest of the target with ease.

Opener Dylan Church struck 96 not out, and with Joseph Eckland batting through for his unbeaten 75, they were home in just 33.1 overs.

Cornwall’s second match of four in Group Four is on Bank Holiday Monday (May 4) when Wales are the visitors to Wadebridge (11am).