CORNWALL are through to the last eight of the National Over 60s First XI Championship following a 12-run success at their Leicestershire counterparts on Tuesday.

Last year’s finalists made the long trip to Cropston having finished third in Division One South West to face a home side that had ended top of the Division One Midlands division with just one defeat from their 10 completed outings.

Cornwall were sent into bat and that decision failed to pay off as openers Damian Cummins and skipper Hugh Rogers put on 74 before the latter was bowled for 36 in the 12th over.

But the runs kept flowing as Tideford’s Anton Luiten put on 125 with Cummins who was stumped (94 off 105 balls) six runs short of his century.

Menheniot-Looe’s hard-hitting wicketkeeper Stuart Adams was in and out for four, however while Luiten steadily accumulated an unbeaten 91 from 87 balls with nine fours, South Petherwin duo Adrian Warne (41 off 30) and Paul Clements (19no off 13) took the score to an imposing 312-4.

Leicestershire like a chase but fell to 66-3 in the 15th over with St Ives’ Andrew Myers (3-52) doing the damage.

Baz Tailor and Mehboob Dawre both reignited the innings with 48 and 35 respectively, however both departed to Rogers (2-62) via catches to Adams (150-5).

But Leicestershire refused to give in and took the game deep as Craig Hendry and Glyn Isaac hammered the bowling to all parts in a stand of 118 in just 14 overs.

Hendry (78 off 59) was stumped off Truro’s Trevor Lee with 45 required off 25 deliveries, but Isaac (79 off 52) kept finding the boundary at will.

Thirteen were required off the final four balls bowled by Lee (2-42 off 5), however Isaac was stumped off the third delivery to spark wild scenes of celebration from the visitors, Leicestershire eventually ending on 300-8.

Cornwall are set to host Middlesex next Tuesday (1pm) at a venue yet to be confirmed.