IN the Bond Timber Cornwall Premier League on Saturday, Penzance suffered their first defeat when they lost at Wadebridge by 30 runs, writes Michael Weeks.
The leaders were already without skipper Greg Smith who suffered a calf injury against Bath the previous week. In the warm-up at Wadebridge batter Ben Seabrook suffered an eye injury after being hit by a football, which needed hospital treatment.
Wadebridge made 242-9 led by James Turpin with 52. Tom Dinnis took 4-46. Chris Gibson (47), Jack Paull (50) and Kian Burns (37) got Penzance to 145-2 but despite Simon Keene’s 49, the innings subsided to 212 all out. Turpin took 3-22.
An “outstanding game on an outstanding pitch” was the verdict of a match official at Camborne where St Austell won a superb game of 532 runs by just two runs.
Connor Cooke (91) and Curtis Dalby (89) added 184 for St Austell’s first wicket in the 44th over.
Needing 268, Lewis Goldsworthy (81) and Dylan Kritzinger (63) took the home team to 192-1. Requiring 13 off the final over, Camborne lost two wickets in a thriller.
It was just as close at Helston where the home side denied Hayle a first win with the winning runs coming off the penultimate ball.
Hayle made 217 with opener Sam Mycock top scoring with 39. Billy Taylor led the reply with 78 before Gavin Tregenza made 34 not out in a ninth-wicket stand of 33.
Callington went down to a nine-wicket defeat at Redruth after Liam Lindsay top-scored with 64 in their 182-9.
Toby Whiteford (73) and Sumiran Amonkar (75no) knocked off the runs inside 31 overs.
Werrington’s good run continued with a 75-run home win over St Just with John Moon and Mark Gribble both getting sixties. Max Waller took three wickets and top-scored (36) before Mark Taskis wrapped up the game with four wickets.
In County Division One, Falmouth retained the top spot at the halfway mark with a 24-run win at Beacon with Stefan Churcher getting 54 in the 212-8.
Rob Harrison made 111 not out and Neil Ivamy had figures of 10-4-12-5 in Truro's 171-run home win over Grampound Road.
Paul are third after a four-wicket home win over Mullion.
Michael Harding (81) and Grant Stone (61) led Newquay to a 147-run home success over Redruth seconds.
Spencer Wilcock (43) and Callum Edgcombe (33no) made runs and shared six wickets in St Erme’s five-wicket win at Penzance seconds.
Ben Attfield hit 64 and took three wickets in Lanhydrock’s three-wicket defeat by Roche for whom James Cole made 50 not out and Jacob Rowe was unbeaten on 31, sharing an unbroken eighth wicket stand of 44.
A remarkable day in Division 2 (East & West) saw home wins for all 12 teams.
Three were big run chases ending in ten-wicket victories – Bude 238-0 (Wayne Adams 122no, James Sharman 84no) against Werrington seconds. Ludgvan 191-0 (Scott Stevens 103no, John Hosking 35no) against Helston seconds. Mount Ambrose 191-0 (Tom Wilson 102no, Simon Johnson 62no) against Truro seconds.
The Bradleys Vinter Cup Final will see Camborne host Penzance on July 5. Camborne beat Truro by five wickets in the last over and Penzance defeated Hayle by eight wickets with four overs to spare.