Cornwall County Cricket Club have ended their 109-year wait for a championship trophy this afternoon (Tuesday).

They clinched the Western Division of the Minor Counties Championship yesterday afternoon thanks to Oxfordshire’s five wicket win at Devizes against Wiltshire.

Cornwall wrapped up victory inside two days at Abergavenny on Monday evening but the outcome of the title race depended on whether Wiltshire could win.

They collapsed in their second innings to leave Oxfordshire a victory target of 161. When they slipped to 100 for four Cornwall might have feared the worst but they only lost one more wicket much to Cornish delight.

Play at Abergavenny was delayed until after tea on Sunday. In the evening session Sam Hockin took seven for 54 to bowl the home side out for just 80. Cornwall slipped to 8 for three at stumps but Jake Libby’s 88 got them to a respectable 182 all out and  a lead of 102. The Welsh batting failed again in the second innings as they were dismissed for 128 with Hockin taking four wickets to end with eleven in the match.

Debutant, Shakeel Ahmed, the former St Buryan professional, took four for 29. Cornwall knocked off the 27 required and after the most tense of mornings had reason to celebrate. Cornwall will now host the Minor Counties Championship final against the Eastern Champions.
The four day game takes place at Truro starting on Sunday, September 9.

WALES M C - First Innings
S W Griffiths b Hockin 0
R F Evans c Davis b A G Smeeth 9
W Evans c Harrison b Hockin 0
D W Holden c Davis b Hockin 1
A J Norman c Williams b Hockin 19
S L Davies b A G Smeeth 12
T J Baker b Hockin 0
A O Morgan c Williams b A G Smeeth 0
J S T Denning not out 17
H W Powell c Robins b Hockin 0
D S Phillips c Curnow b Hockin 15
Extras (6 nb, 1w) 7
Total (29.4 overs) 80
Fall: 1-4; 2-8; 3-13; 4-13; 5-30; 6-31; 7-38; 8-50; 9-50.
Bowling: A G Smeeth 15-5-26-3, Hockin 14.4-2-54-7.

CORNWALL First Innings
M L Robins c W Evans b Norman 0
J D Libby run out (Morgan) 88
N S Curnow lbw Denning 0
R J Harrison lbw Denning 0
T Williams b Denning 11
D F Davis c R F Evans b Powell 38
T G Sharp lbw Powell 5
B A Smeeth c Baker b Morgan 14
A G Smeeth c Baker b Phillips 14
S Ahmed c Norman b Powell 2
S C Hockin not out 2
Extras (1b, 2lb, 5w) 8
Total (54.2 overs) 182
Fall: 1-0; 2-5; 3-5; 4-17; 5-78; 6-103; 7-129; 8-170; 9-177.
Bowling: Norman 16-11-15-1, Denning 16-3-65-3, Powell 8.2-1-29-3, Phillips 8-0-44-1, S Griffiths 3-0-10-0, O Morgan 3-0-16-1.


WALES M C Second Innings
S W Griffiths b A G Smeeth 1
R F Evans c sub b A G Smeeth 10
W Evans lbw  Hockin 0
D W Holden lbw Ahmed 33
A J Norman c sub b Ahmed 37
S L Davies c sub b Ahmed 1
T J Baker b Hockin 17
A O Morgan c Davis b Hockin 0
J S T Denning lbw Ahmed 11
H W Powell not out 1
D S Phillips c & b Hockin 3
Extras (2b, 8lb 4nb) 14
Total (47.5 overs) 128
Fall: 1-8; 2-11; 3-15; 4-59; 5-71; 6-98; 7-101; 8-124; 9-124.
Bowling: A G  Smeeth 7-1-34-2, Hockin 17.5-3-48-4, S Ahmed 17-7-29-4, Sharp 6-1-7-0.

CORNWALL Second Innings
M L Robins not out 14
J D Libby not out 13
Extras 0
Total (4.5 overs) 27
Bowling: Denning 2.5-0-15-0, Phillips 2-0-12-0.
Umpires: D Price & G Parker.
Result: Cornwall (21pts) beat Wales MC (4pts) by ten wickets.