Cornwall close to qualification (From Falmouth Packet)

Cornwall close to qualification

10:26am Wednesday 17th June 2009

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Cornwall 136 Dorset 91 Cornwall’s Middleton Cup team, showing only one change from the team which beat Somerset at Winscombe two week’s ago, with Colin Binny replacing the unavailable Roger Teague in Mark Foster’s rink, romped to a 45 shots victory over Dorset at Weymouth on Saturday, dropping only two of the 22 points available, writes Grenville Phillips.

The Duchy team made steady progress throughout the match, after being 23 shots up at five ends. Unexpectedly, the rink led by Mark Read, so successful in the previous match, was the one Cornwall disappointment, losing by 13.

The fact that they were playing on a difficult end rink hardly accounted for their poor showing but this was compounded by the fact that Dorset skip Wayne Garnett had a superb game. Looking, after 18 ends, as if he might come back, Read dropped a six, which sealed his fate.

Rinks skipped by John Stafford, Norman Coad and Ian Drew made good progress throughout the match, with Coad’s rink winning by an exceptional 25 shots. Tim Phillips had to battle hard against Dorset star Adam Tidby after being two down at 10 ends and managed to win by five.

Towards the end of the match the main concern was whether Mark Foster would be able to hang on to his small lead but he picked up at the end to win by seven.

With only one round of the group stage to play Cornwall are virtually certain to go forward to the quarter finals. Assuming the worst scenario from the other matches, the Duchy need only five points from their match against Warwickshire at Clevedon in three week’s time to go through.

Scores: (Cornwall Skips First): T Phillips 18 A Tidby 13, J Stafford 23 E Young 13, N Coad 32 B Patterson 7, I Drew 27 S Dickinson 16, M Foster 24 S Gait 17, M Read 12 W Garnett 25.

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