Bond Timber Cornwall Cricket League — Saturday, May 22ECB Cornwall Premier LeagueWerrington (123 all out)Redruth (132 all out)MARK Gribble’s 57 proved in vain as Werrington fell to an agonising nine-run defeat to Redruth at Ladycross.

Werrington’s spinners did excellently as Redruth posted 132 in a game reduced to 40 overs per side, before the home team failed to get going besides Gribble, and ended nine short.

The game was delayed by an hour due to a wet outfield, but despite winning the toss, Werrington failed to make early inroads as brothers Toby and Ellis Whiteford started well.

They added 50 for the first wicket before Toby (32) was caught at mid-wicket by Tom Lyle off Ian Worsnip looking to smash the ball through the off-side.

Worsnip bowled a miserly spell while Adam Hodgson was even tighter, going for just eight off his seven overs.

The second wicket fell when teenage leggy Hugh Tomkinson had Will Trenoweth (6) caught behind by Nick Lawson, and Ellis Whiteford (29) was run-out with the score on 91 thanks to Worsnip’s direct hit from mid-on.

Sri Lankan Ravindu Sembakuttige started well, but he was soon gone for 14 when he chipped Ben Smeeth to Adam Jenkin in the covers, and from there, Werrington took control.Although Luke Johnson smashed three sixes in his 32 off just 25 balls, numbers six to 11 contributed only seven between them as the Hodgson brothers, Adam and Mark, proved tough to get away.

Johnson ran past one off Mark Hodgson (3-21) to be stumped at 131-8, and from there, the Reds added just a single as Joseph Cockings and Dylan Caddy were both out trying to whack Adam Hodgson.

At tea, Werrington would have fancied their chances, although Redruth’s strength was their bowling, and so it proved.

Youngsters Cockings and Caddy started tidily and eventually got their reward with the score on 20 as Adam Jenkin was caught at mid-wicket by Luke Johnson for a 25-ball duck.

All batsmen were finding it hard on a tough pitch as Redruth’s spinners proved hard to score off. Adam Hodgson (15) was bowled by off-spinner Sembakuttige going for a big shot at 29-1.

They meandered to 40-2 at the halfway stage, leaving them 93 to get from 120 balls.

Wickets then continued to fall to the spinners as Smeeth was bowled for 11 by Ellis Whiteford, Tomkinson was lbw sweeping for three, Lawson top-edged a slog sweep to go for nought and Tom Lyle was caught behind off left-arm spinner Craig Johnson.

Mark Hodgson hit his first ball for six but he was caught at mid-on for ten, and at 76-7 the game looked all but done.

Mark Gribble was still there and as the overs reduced he looked to accelerate.

Fifteen was needed off the final over from Craig Johnson (6-29) with two wickets in-hand.

Although Gribble hit his fourth six, he was bowled third ball for 57. Worsnip was then stumped first ball by Peter Howells as Redruth celebrated a superb result.

Lawson admitted they left themselves too much to do at the back end.

He said: “I think at tea we thought we were right in it. We said we needed one or two decent partnerships or one big one on what wasn’t the best of wickets.

“We were 40-2 at drinks, which meant we needed 90-odd from 20 overs, which was always going to be hard work. To be fair they didn’t bowl many bad balls and the run-rate kept going up and up. If it wasn’t for Gribby keeping us in the game, we would have ended up well short.

“We said about trying to take it deep as you never know what can happen, and as Gribby tried his luck and hit the fours and sixes we started to believe. But we left ourselves a bit too much to do. We only got one partnership over 30, which makes winning very tough.

“But that said, they bowled very well and deserved to win.”

Although wins aren’t on the board yet, Lawson sees plenty of positives.

He said: “I was delighted with the way Snippy and our spinners bowled and our ground fielding and catching was much better. Although we didn’t take early wickets again, they never got away from us and we still took the ten wickets.

“Then with the bat it was great to see Gribby back in the runs after a slow start. I want him to spearhead our batting and others bat around him, and getting 57 on a tough pitch against a bowling attack that had three very tidy spinners, goes to show how good a player he is. We’re improving each week and are looking forward to a big game at Truro on Saturday.”

Having already visited Boscawen Park in the Tribute T20 Kernow Crash this season, Lawson is ready.

He said: “We know what to expect from Truro. They’ve got some good experienced players in the likes of Scott Harvey, Neil Ivamy and Rob Harrison. Add to that their new overseas and a couple of younger players they’ve brought in, they have quite a good all-round side, but we’ll go there and back ourselves.

“I’ve also got John Moon, Toby Ward and Dan Barnard all available again this week, so that gives me a nice selection headache for the weekend.”