Advantage with Cornwall (From Falmouth Packet)

Advantage with Cornwall

5:21pm Tuesday 7th July 2009

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After two days of their Minor Counties game with Wiltshire Cornwall held a narrow advantage on Monday evening at Camborne.

The visitors had been bowled out in mid afternoon for 248 and Cornwall closed on 282 for seven, with a further fifteen overs still available in their first innings.

It was an all too familiar story on Sunday as the first day was ruined by the weather.

It was, remarkably, the eighth successive championship match at Roskear to be interrupted by rain.

In the 30.4 overs possible, having elected to bat, the visitors reached 98 for the loss of three wickets. That was just before four o’clock when a monsoon shower, was enough to end play for the day.

The day had started with the start was delayed until 12.35pm. Jon Chandler and Ben Walker added 47 in just under an hour before Walker was caught behind by Gavin Edwards off Antony Angove for 29.

Chandler was joined by Joe Breet and, following another rain interruption after lunch, progressed the total to 94 when Chandler was dismissed. He had been called for a single, and was smartly run out by Angove for 39 that included a six and five fours coming off 94 balls.

With the clouds threatening Angove was soon in the game again having Breet caught at slip for 21. Before Mike Coles could take strike however the heavens opened and that was it for the day.

Rob Harrison bowled an excellent spell only conceding 14 runs from his ten overs in which he sent down five maidens. He had little luck however beating the bat on a number of occasions.

On the second day there was another delayed start with play not getting underway until 11.45am.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was bright and breezy allowing uninterrupted play with an extended finish at 8pm. Greg Lamb and Mike Coles added 68 for Wiltshire’s fourth wicket before Lamb was caught behind off Alex Smeeth for 30. Coles followed, on the stroke of lunch,  held by Parsons at slip for 43.

After the interval James Hayward and Tom Morton took the total to 232 when Hayward was caught in the deep by Gary Thomas for 53.

Hunkin then removed visiting skipper James Hibbard lbw for 0. Tom Sharp had Pat Turk caught at slip and the innings subsided quickly as Morton edged to 12th man Matt Rowe at slip and Ross Crick was run out as the innings ended in the 70th over at 148. Hunkin took four for 50 from 16.5 overs.

Cornwall lost an early wicket when Matt Robins was a well caught behind one handed by keeper Morton. Ben Smeeth and Dan Davis took the total to 64 before Davis was bowled on the back foot for 35. Antony Angove made a lively 23 off 24 balls that included five boundaries before he was stumped off the bowling of Hayward.

Opener Ben Smeeth was batting well but on 38 fell leg before to Neil Harrison. Keith Parsons and Sharp joined forces to put on 109 for the fifth wicket over the next 25 overs in the early evening sunshine. Sharp eventually fell for 65 off the bowling off the spin of Lamb when he found Turk at deep square. In a double blow Lamb had Parsons caught bat and pad in his next over for 28. Parsons had played a patient 112 ball innings.

In form all rounder Chris Hunkin made a useful 33 over the closing overs but in a late blow he was held at mid off in the penultimate over of the day.

It left the St Just duo of Gary Thomas (21no) and Gavin Edwards undefeated and in position to add to the 34 run lead with 15 overs still available.

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