Bottom side St Austell look for boost at Werrington

NOT many Cornish cricket supporters, yet alone the Saints players, would have expected to be bottom of the table with just six games remaining, but that is the case following last weekend’s five-wicket defeat to visiting St Just.

St Austell’s batting has rarely fired all season, and although it did last week, Gareth May’s 116 helped the eight-time champions chase down 246.

However, St Austell skipper Alex Bone, whose side are now three points behind neighbours Grampound Road, has more ammunition at his disposal this week as he retakes the gloves after a finger injury.

The county keeper drafts in fast men Conway Gilbert and Jack Carter, the former having been playing up country all season, while Carter is rewarded for his seven-wicket haul for the Cornwall Development side with a call-up.

South African Gianluca Longo also gets an immediate recall after a successful run out for the seconds at Bude last Saturday. David Munn, young wicketkeeper Tom Mallet and batsman Mike Bone make way.

Werrington narrowly lost by nine runs at champions Penzance, a result which saw them fall 23 points adrift of the champions, but will fancy their chances of responding.

They do have to do without county skipper Paul Smith for the first time this season, but do have Cornwall Under 16s player Billy Uglow available again in the sole alteration.

WERRINGTON: Adam Hodgson, John Moon, Mark Gribble, Thulina Dilshan, Ben Smeeth, George Rickard, Billy Uglow, Nick Lawson (capt, wkt), Dan Barnard, Sam Hockin, Mark Taskis.

ST AUSTELL: Rowen Taplin, Adam Snowdon, Connor Cooke, Alex Bone (capt, wkt), Nadeera Balasuriya, Gianluca Longo, Gary Bone, Conway Gilbert, Andrew Libby, Liam Watson, Jack Carter.

GRAMPOUND Road were beaten by six wickets by visiting Redruth last weekend and host the champions who haven’t lost since early June.

However, the Roadies are right in the mix for survival and know anything they can get on Saturday will be a bonus ahead of a huge run of games to finish.

Penzance have Wadebridge on their tails – sitting just six behind – and know one mistake could be crucial, particularly as the two still have to play each other in 15 days time.

Penzance name an unchanged side from last weekend as seamer Will Moore retains his place.

GRAMPOUND ROAD (PREDICTED): Harry Phillips, Jake Preston, Alex Lean, Tom Orpe, Harry Gregory, Ravi Karunarathna, Harry Matthews, Tom Fox-Dean, Ben Sleeman, Dan Ferris, David Neville.

PENZANCE: Christian Purchase (capt), Jack Paull (wkt), Basil Akram, Charlie Sharland, Ollie Rayner, Grant Thomson, Sammy King, Jonny Ludlam, Tom Dinnis, Will Moore, Ben Fletcher.

CALLINGTON bounced back from three successive league defeats with a seven-wicket mauling of Camborne last weekend, and host a Helston side who were left gutted by a late ambush by title-chasing Wadebridge.

Helston had the Swans 69-5 in pursuit of 241, but a fine last-wicket stand denied them a crucial victory in the battle to avoid the drop.

Cally have a 22-point gap to make up on Penzance who they have already faced twice, but all they can do is win as many games as possible and see what happens.

Pro Chris Dent is away in his role as Glamorgan’s batting coach, which allows head coach and former Somerset leg-spinner Max Waller to make his seasonal debut.

Helston, 14 points above the drop, make the long trip east with a near full-strength side themselves.

CALLINGTON: Aidan Libby (capt), Liam Lindsay, Matt Thompson (wkt), Matt Whalley, Mohammed Danyaal, Jake Rowe, Ollie Allsop, Joe White, Max Waller, Ben Ellis, Ben Alford.

HELSTON (PREDICTED): Karl Leathley, Jayden Mitchell, Steve Jenkin, Billy Taylor (wkt), Dan Jenkin (capt), Lewis Stephens, Bryn Evans, Mark Jenkin, Sunny Osmont, Harry Saunders, Ryan Tonkin.

IT’S derby day at Redruth as the two mid-table outfits battle it out with just one point separating the two.

The home side make one change from last weekend’s six-wicket win at Grampound Road as young wicketkeeper Jack Pengilly comes in for batsman Connor Poulton as Cornwall Under 18s and King’s College youngster Toby Stoddard takes a break from behind the stumps.

Camborne gave debut to Somerset youngster Oscar Coleman last weekend and he is set for a mouthwatering West Cornwall derby to get his teeth into.

The visitors won the reverse fixture thanks to a fine performance in the field, and will hope their bowlers are at it again.

REDRUTH: Toby Stoddard (wkt), Toby Whiteford, Ellis Whiteford, Attyab Ahmad, Jack Hale, Liam Norwell (capt), Harley Stevens, Jack Pengilly (wkt), Ethan Best, Dom Batchelor, Jamie Veall.

CAMBORNE (PREDICTED): Dinuka Dilshan, Josh Fontana, Oscar Coleman, Alfie Macdonald, Scott Kellow, Liam Weeks (wkt), Dan Stephens, William Macdonald, Jacob Macdonald, Piran Moyle, Craig Johnson.

ST JUST ensured their fall to the bottom of the table lasted just a week and will hope to take that momentum into their home date with title-chasing Wadebridge.

Both teams need the points for various reasons which should ensure a thrilling contest, just like in the return fixture when the visitors narrowly failed to chase down their target of 256, going down by 12 runs.

St Just have opening batsman Scott Harvey back after missing the last two, while youngster George Blaken also gets a recall. Out go Jacob Harvey and Joe Clifton-Griffith.

Wadebridge rarely make any changes, this week it’s just the one as leg-spinning all-rounder Ross McLachlan comes in for the unavailable Matt Rowe, which could mean a slight re-jig of the batting line-up.

ST JUST: Neil Curnow, Scott Harvey, Ellis May, Gareth May (capt), Philip Nicholas, Chamikara Edirisinghe, Logan Curnow, Jamie Semmens, Rhys Brownfield (wkt), George Blaken, Ben Stevens.

WADEBRIDGE: Charlie McLachlan, Lachlan Crump, Matt Rowe, Matt Robins, James Turpin, Callum Wilson, Ryan Jackson, Kelvin Snell (capt), Fred Wilkinson (wkt), Matt Lawrence, Elliot Dunnett.