ECB Cornwall Premier League round-up – Saturday, August 8

WADEBRIDGE have blown the title race wide open again after seeing off leaders Penzance by four wickets in West Cornwall on Saturday.

The Swans headed to St Clare knowing that realistically anything but a win would do, and a superb bowling performance led by Callum Wilson and Australian Lachlan Crump, paved the way for former skipper Matt Robins to anchor their chase of 184.

Earlier, Wilson (2-36) and Crump (3-30) – the latter back to bowling after injury – sent down 20 overs in tandem at the start as the hosts slipped to 50-5.

That became 83-6 with South African overseas Grant Thomson (11) out to Elliot Dunnett (2-25). With Matt Lawrence (0-16 off 10) also giving away nothing, the visitors had to grind it out to reach 173-8, helped by useful contributions from Ollie Rayner (40), Jonny Ludlam (36) and Tom Dinnis (21no).

Dinnis (2-27) then struck twice early, but while Robins batted through for his 73 not out (103 balls, nine fours), everybody else ground it out, led by Fred Wilkinson (18) and James Turpin (14), before Lawrence (8no) helped Robins accelerate to the winning post.

It means there’s just a five-point gap with three to play.

At the bottom, Grampound Road have a mountain to climb following an eight-wicket pasting by visiting Camborne.

The visitors chose to field and reduced the Roadies to 70-4, which included 35 from Alex Lean. That became 72 with skipper Tom Orpe falling to Daniel Stephens, but they did rally to 193-8 as Harry Gregory made 69 not out, sharing a 84-run stand with Harry Matthews (34).

Grampound’s bowling line-up was again far from full-strength, and after openers Josh Fontana (36) and Matt Hewitt (57) laid the platform, Dinuka Dilshan (43no) and Oscar Coleman (41no) knocked off the rest.

They sit 18 points behind St Just who were also well beaten, this time by nine wickets at Callington.

The visitors were without overseas player Chamikara Edirisinghe - and struggled to just 150 all out having been 83-2 in the 24th over as only captain Gareth May with 45 made much impression. Jamie Semmens whacked 27 down the order. Spinners Liam Lindsay (4-24) and Matt Whalley (3-24) shared seven wickets.

The hosts were then led home by sixties from South African Liam Lindsay (68no) and Matt Thompson (61no).

St Austell thrashed Redruth by six wickets away from home to open up a 22-point cushion from trouble.

The mid-table Reds were dismissed for just 94 as Liam Watson (2-23), Andrew Libby (2-10) and Conway Gilbert (2-18) all got in on the act with Pakistani pro Attyab Ahmad’s 20 the best.

Rowen Taplin and Adam Snowdon thrashed 46 in no time, and although they slipped to 50-3, which included 2-27 from Kiwi Jamie Veall, Nadeera Balasuriya’s unbeaten 27 got the job done.

Helston could still do with one more win to guarantee survival after an eight-wicket thrashing at third-placed Werrington.

The Blues slipped from 58-2 with Karl Leathley (32) and Billy Taylor (21) in, to 85-6 with Dan Barnard taking 5-26 from 10 unchanged overs.

Back came Helston to reach 202, led by 64 from Mark Jenkin with help from Bryn Evans (23) and Harry Saunders (32), but an unbroken second wicket stand of 176 between Ben Smeeth (71no) and Thulina Dilshan (108no) ensured a comfortable win.