With only 67 points covering the top nine teams, Newquay are well adrift at the bottom, the Jolly’s Drinks ECB Cornwall Premier League is proving as unpredictable as ever this season.

That was emphasised again on Saturday as Falmouth took the scalp of the champions Werrington at the Hine Downing Oval. It ended a three match winning run for the North Cornwall side.

The victory made it back to back wins for Falmouth as their season has taken off in the last fortnight, following the previous week’s excellent win at Grampound Road.

Having said that they still find themselves in eighth spot, but only 13 points behind fourth placed Penzance, who are the visitors to the Oval on Saturday. Penzance will no doubt be smarting from a fifth league defeat of the season, after losing at Truro by six wickets.

With St Just’s home game with Redruth abandoned due to rain and fog at tea Truro now lead the table by 11 points with seven games to play. Werrington won the toss and elected to bat in cloudy, humid conditions. Jordan Thomas got an early breakthrough to bowl Ben Smeeth for 13 and soon after George Popperwell trapped Jon Bye in front for three. Popperwell struck again to remove Ben Jenkin as the visitors lost their first three wickets for 35. Paul Smith made 54, adding 57 for the fourth wicket with Adam Hodgson, before both fell at 92.

The visitors then collapsed losing five middle order wickets for just 20 runs.

Last man Ian Worsnip hit successive sixes in his 17 before being run out at 140, with three overs unused. Stefan Churcher, after conceding 13 off his first over, took three for 27.

There were two wickets each for Jordan Thomas, George Popperwell and Nepalese overseas player Sushan Bhari. In a tactical move Werrington opted to use the old ball and Callum Whittaker (23) and Kieran Rodda (25) took advantage.

They put on 49 for the first wicket after Werrington opened with the spin of Smeeth, Hodgson and Smith. The introduction of South African paceman Aya Myoli, at second change, caused a collapse however with six wickets falling for just 20 runs. He took five for 25 off nine overs. Stefan Churcher made 14 but when Liam Hoban followed in the 42nd over, stumped off Hodgson, at 104 for eight the writing looked on the wall.

However Jamie Stephens (36no) and Sean Hooper (24no) came to the rescue putting on an unbeaten 40 for the ninth wicket. Five were needed off the final over. After a dot and two singles Stephens levelled the scores off the fourth ball to leave Hooper to hit the winning boundary in a thrilling finish.

WERRINGTON

B Smeeth b Thomas 13

J Bye lbw Popperwell 3

B Jenkin c Whittaker b Popperwell 9

P Smith c Roberts b Churcher 54

A Hodgson c Whittaker b Bhari 12

N Lawson c Thomas b Churcher 14

M Gribble b Churcher 4

T Dinnis c Rodda b Bhari 0

D Warne b Thomas 3

A Myoli not out 6

I Worsnip run out 17

Extras 5

Total (46.5 overs) 140

Fall: 1-16; 2-18; 3-35; 4-92; 5-92; 6-109; 7-112; 8-112; 9-122.

Bowling: J Thomas 10-1-41-2, G Popperwell 10-3-29-2, J Stephens 7-0-26-0, S Bhari 10-3-15-2, S Churcher 9.5-3-27-3.

FALMOUTH

C Whittaker c Lawson b Myoli 23

K Rodda lbw Smith 25

H Roberts c Jenkin b Myoli 11

G Leathley c Smeeth b Myoli 1

S Churcher c Smith b Dinnis 14

S Bhari c Gribble b Myoli 1

J Thomas b Myoli 0

J Stephens not out 36

L Hoban st Lawson b Hodgson 0

S Hooper not out 24

Extras 9

Total (8 wkts, 49.5 overs) 144

Fall: 1-49; 2-50; 3-62; 4-63; 5-69; 6-69; 7-93; 8-104.

Did not bat: G Popperwell

Bowling: B Smeeth 8.5-2-22-0, A Hodgson 10-2-21-1, P Smith 10-2-28-1, A Myoli 9-2-25-5, T Dinnis 6-1-21-1, D Warne 6-2-25-0.

Result: Falmouth (18pts) beat Werrington (6pts) by two wickets.