Bond Timber Cornwall Cricket League report and summary scores — Saturday, September 7

WERRINGTON seconds have pulled off one of the great rescue acts in County One history to ensure a fifth successive season in the second-tier next summer.

Their four-wicket victory at mid-table Rosudgeon coupled with Launceston’s six-wicket defeat at home to Gorran, means that Launceston go down instead of Ludgvan due to the West Cornwall club’s superior head-to-head record against them this summer.

Werrington knew that they had to win to stand any chance of survival and did their job in style, bowling Rosudgeon out for just 105 with Ian Worsnip (3-51), Danny Warne (3-15) and Mark Taskis (2-28) all in the wickets.

The visitors then slipped to 14-3 but John Moon (42) and Ben Jenkin (28) then eased the tension with a match-winning partnership of 70 to get them over the line.

Although both men fell before the end, the damage was done, meaning that they had won five of their last six games to avoid the drop and ensure the losers of Launceston and Gorran would likely face the drop.

Werrington skipper Mark Hodgson told the Post: “I’d like to say how proud I am of my team. With six games to go we were 36 points adrift of safety and almost certain to go down.

“But we’ve then won five of our last six games and shown great character not to give up when our confidence was at rock bottom.”

Gorran won a crucial toss at Launceston and chose to field, and it paid dividends as Jon Parsons and Jake Barber both fell for ducks to Ryan Clark (4-47).

Opener Rob Mutch got off to a great start in crashing 45 off 33 balls but it was left to the middle order and number ten Ryan Christophers to get them to 161 all out in just 37.3 overs.

Michael Bolt (22), Gavin Wallis (17) and Kevin Worth (26) all got in without going on, leaving Christophers (18) to strike a six to get them up to a fourth batting point at 160.

With Mutch still unable to bowl due to a side strain, Gorran teed off from the outset as openers Rory Dixon (32) and Jacob Lakeman (49) took advantage of some friendly bowling and dropped catches.

Although Christophers (2-36) dismissed both and Barber took two late wickets, New Zealander James Rennie stroked 42 not out off just 27 balls to secure their safety and leave Launceston hoping that Ludgvan would be bowled out for less than 120 at Redruth seconds having restricted the Reds to 245-7.

Despite losing comfortably, Kyle Stevens’ half-century (54) helped them reach 144 and send Launceston down and mean that three clubs face the prospect of relegation from both divisions two and three.

However, all County One and Premier League clubs must pass Clubmark and Youth Cricket requirements before official confirmation of any promotion and relegation can be given.

Both Callington and Werrington had little to play for in their final games of the season in the ECB Cornwall Premier League, and it showed as they both lost.

Callington ensured there would be no relegation decider at Falmouth having won a thriller at Wadebridge seven days earlier, and they would have been glad, as the Trescobeas outfit thrashed them by seven wickets.

Brett Bruk-Jackson (34), Yannick Leonard (28), Chris Davies (27) and Oliver Allsop (20) all passed 20 in Callington’s 169 all-out which was reached in just 20.5 overs as Grant Stone (65) and Scott Kellow (64) teed off. Leonard completed a decent all-round game with 3-59 as the visitors begin to prepare for another season in the top-flight next summer.

Werrington needed seven points from their final day clash at home to Truro to guarantee third place from St Just and they managed it despite losing by two wickets.

Adam Hodgson anchored the Ladycross side’s total of 232-5 with an unbeaten 89, while Adam Jenkin (24), Paul Smith (50) and Matt Robins (35) were also amongst the runs.

Truro have enjoyed a poor campaign by their usual standards but with a rejigged batting line-up, delivered.

Kyle Van Rooyen smashed 88 off just 44 balls as the city club reached 104-0 in just 11 overs before Charlie Kent was caught behind by Nick Lawson off Hodgson (2-53).

Van Rooyen walloped 13 fours and five sixes in his short stay before he too was caught off Hodgson, this time by Robins.

Tom Dinnis (2-60) dismissed Kelvin Snell and Joel Brierly shortly after to leave the game back in the balance at 130-4. However skipper Rob Harrison, who promoted himself to three, batted the majority of the innings to make 63 before he departed at 218-6.

Despite a couple more wickets falling to Robins (2-25), Truro got over the line.

In the closest Division Two East relegation battle for years, Luckett look set to compete in the fourth tier next summer as Bude survived by just a point.

Both sides went into the day in less danger than Grampound Road seconds, Roche and fellow Post area club St Minver.

But with Bude welcoming Grampound and Luckett heading to Roche, St Minver knew that a win at bottom side Ladock would help them pull off the great escape.

Minver eventually eased to victory although it took an unbeaten 70-plus run stand by number eight Tom Preston-Evans (30) and number ten Hamish Rathbone (58) to get them up to 228-8.

In reply, Ladock’s innings never got started as they were dismissed for just 81, with opening bowlers Ross Keast (3-23) and Charlie Hawken (2-5) sharing five wickets. Overseas player Allistar Cottle rounded off a good game with two late wickets after earlier making 36.

Both Luckett and Bude started the day on 261 points although Bude survived despite only earning four points themselves at home to Grampound Road seconds, who are also safe.

Bude won the toss and chose to bat and were going along well at 146-3 thanks to 56 from Warren Rumble and useful contributions from Matt Hookway (17), Mark McManus (20) and Tom Hall (28). 

However Matt Williams’ dismissal for 13 at 160-5 sparked an incredible collapse as they were bundled out for a well below-par 171.

The Road’s reply was anchored by former Premier League star Sean Hooper who made an unbeaten 82. He shared in stands of 56 with Connor Cooke (21) and 119 alongside Oscar Thomas-Donald (58no).

Bude’s four points meant Luckett needed the same to stay up on head-to-head, but they could pick up just three at Roche, who themselves avoided consecutive relegations.

Veteran left-armer Paul Trethewey ran through the Luckett line-up on his way to figures of 7-30 as the visitors could muster just 102 despite getting to 47-1.

Richard Brown top-scored with 35.

Roche knew they could take their time and they did so, getting home in 30.3 overs to win by eight wickets.

Holsworthy ensured a second league title in three years as they thrashed St Austell thirds by 196 runs at Wheal Eliza to claim the Division Three East crown ahead of St Blazey.

The Trees knew that they must win and half centuries from Aiden Gerry (58) and Jack Greening (56no) set them on their way to 251-6, which was topped up by twenties from Jack May (26) and Ryan Walter (25).

With nothing to play for and safely in mid-table, St Austell folded to just 55 all-out with Rob Mitchell (3-7) and Matt Shepherd (3-28) sharing six wickets. Greening rounded off a brilliant season personally by taking 2-20 to end with 50 league wickets for the year.

Holsworthy will face west winners St Ives in the Division Three County Final at Pencarrow (near Bodmin) on Saturday (1pm).

Skipper Ryan Walter admits they have exceeded expectations.

He said: “At the start of the season we didn’t feel like we’d be at the top but we’ve got on a role and had a consistent side.

“To win our first 15 games at the start of the year was brilliant, and although we then lost three out of the next four with the other cancelled, we provided a great response to win our last three games, especially as St Blazey got on a role.”

Holsworthy were beaten by ten runs in the Division Four County Final by St Buryan at Tintagel back in 2017, and Walter hopes his side can avoid a repeat.

He said: “Hopefully we can go one better than two years ago. We don’t know too much about the opposition, but we’ve got to do as well as we can and see where it takes us.

“We should be at full strength, which means there will be three or four who’ll be left out, but they understand.”

The club are hoping to run a bus with all support welcome.

Anyone who would like to go, can contact Walter on 07854 718886.

Elsewhere, last year’s promoted sides from Division Four East, Bude seconds and Launceston seconds were both relegated after heavy final day defeats.

With Launceston going down from County One, in the end it meant that three sides are likely to be in the fifth-tier next summer, as just three points separated the bottom four on the final day.

St Neot, winless since June 1, beat fellow relegation worriers Roche seconds by six wickets at Wenmouth to leave Launceston and Bude needing at the very least, to pick up a significant amount of bonus points.

However, Launceston were hammered by Callington seconds at Moores Park, going down by 168 runs.

Toby May thrashed 13 sixes in a brutal display of hitting on his to way to an unbeaten 173, while Peter Tancock (45), Toby Beresford-Power (41) and Andrew Brenton (30) all made hay in their season’s best score of 330-6.

Spinner Brett Grosvenor took 4-70.

The visitor’s response got off to a shocking start as they slipped to 52-5 and 75-7 against Brenton (4-63) and Beresford-Power (2-7).

Mark Forshaw (61) smashed the bowling to all parts on his way to a fourth half-century of the season in a stand of 64 with Ethan Green (25), but despite getting up to a fourth bonus point, they finished a point short of St Neot and Roche.

Bude finished bottom by two points after going down by 96 runs at Boconnoc.

Mike Taylor (3-70) was the only visiting bowler to strike in a total of 239-3 which proved far too many despite Gordon Wint’s 43.

Spinners Joe Coates (3-27), John Niblett (4-24) and Kevin Spencer (2-19) then went to work, sharing nine of the wickets to fall.

South Petherwin secured third for a second consecutive season by racking up a 155-run win over Tintagel, who could have overtaken them with a convincing win.

Adam Warne (95) and Cornwall youngster Taylor Gerry (53) both struck half centuries in the visitors’ 281-7 with Ryan Pooley (4-76) and Jason Seldon (3-52) the only Tintagel bowlers to strike.

Seldon then top-scored with 19 as the hosts were all out for just 126. Paul Clements (3-8), Adrian Clements (3-33) and Billy Martin (2-24) took the bowling honours.

See next week’s Post for coverage of Holsworthy’s big day out at Pencarrow.

Summary scores

ECB Cornwall Premier League

Falmouth — Callington 169 (B Bruk-Jackson 34, Y Leonard 28, C Davies 27, O Allsop 20; D Ayres 4-22, J Harrington 3-24), Falmouth 171-3 (G Stone 65, S Kellow 64; Y Leonard 3-59). Falmouth (20 points) beat Callington (four) by seven wickets.

Werrington — Werrington 232-5 (A Hodgson 89, P Smith 50, M Robins 35, A Jenkin 24; K Van Rooyen 3-26), Truro 233-8 (K Van Rooyen 88, R Harrison 63, C Kent 22, J Phillips 21; M Robins 2-25, A Hodgson 2-53, T Dinnis 2-60). Truro (17 points) beat Werrington (nine) by two wickets.

County Division One

Launceston — Launceston 161 (R Mutch 45, K Worth 26, M Bolt 22; R Clark 4-47, R Daniel 2-14, A Grant 2-35), Gorran 163-4 (J Lakeman 49, J Rennie 42no, R Dixon 32; J Barber 2-15, R Christophers 2-36). Gorran (20 points) beat Launceston (six) by six wickets.

Rosudgeon — Rosudgeon 105 (G Lawrence 21; D Warne 3-15, I Worsnip 3-51, M Taskis 2-28), Werrington 107-6 (J Moon 42, B Jenkin 28; M Ellis 3-34, M Waters 2-30). Werrington (19 points) beat Rosudgeon (five) by four wickets.

Division Two East

Bude — Bude 171 (W Rumble 56, M McManus 20, T Hall 34; M Roberts 5-25, A Rust 3-40, S Dunstan 2-33) Grampound Road 175-1 (S Hooper 82no, C Cooke 21, O-T Donald 58no). Grampound Road (20 points) beat Bude (four) by nine wickets.

Ladock — St Minver 228-8 (H Rathbone 58no, A Cottle 36, T Preston-Evans 30no, M Gilbert 23, R Bray 3-37, P Morgan 2-29, M Bray 2-58), Ladock 81 (R Keast 3-23, C Hawken 2-5, A Cottle 2-6). St Minver (20 points) beat Ladock (six) by 147 runs.

Roche — Luckett 102 (Richard Brown 35; P Trethewey 7-30, J Rowe 2-31), Roche 103-2 (J Cole 29no, S Trudgeon 29). Roche (20 points) beat Luckett (three) by eight wickets.

Division Three East

Boconnoc — Boconnoc 239-3 (Jamie Coates 88no, J Sleep 42no, M Blake 41, S Marchant 31; M Taylor 3-70), Bude 143 (G Wint 43; J Niblett 4-24, Joe Coates 3-27, K Spencer 2-19). Boconnoc (20 points) beat Bude (four) by 96 runs.

Callington — Callington 330-6 (T May 173no, P Tancock 45, T Beresford-Power 41, A Brenton 30; B Grosvenor 4-70, D Cox 2-76), Launceston 162 (M Forshaw 61, E Green 25; A Brenton 4-63, T Beresford-Power 2-7, D Thirupuvanarajah 2-23). Callington (20 points) beat Launceston (seven) by 168 runs.

St Austell — Holsworthy 251-6 (A Gerry 58, J Greening 56no, J May 26, R Walter 25; M Bennetts 3-64), St Austell 55 (R Mitchell 3-7, M Shepherd 3-21, J Greening 2-20). Holsworthy (20 points) beat St Austell (four) by 196 runs to win the division. 

Tintagel — South Petherwin 281-7 (Adam Warne 95, T Gerry 53, A Clements 22; R Pooley 4-76, J Seldon 3-52), Tintagel 126 (J Seldon 19; P Clements 3-8, A Clements 3-33, B Martin 2-24). South Petherwin (20 points) beat Tintagel (six) by 155 runs.