Falmouth stages Minor Counties Championship cricket on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as Cornwall play their second game of the season, writes Michael Weeks.

Oxfordshire are the visitors to Trescobeas with play starting at 11am at on all three days. It promises to be an interesting clash with Cornwall needing a win to get their season up and running.

Their opponents finished third last year, four points behind Cornwall. Both teams drew their opening games, which were both seriously affected by rain. Cornwall’s game at Torquay against Devon lost four sessions due to the weather, and ended in a tame draw.

Cornwall’s team manager Godfrey Furse was disappointed that from 98 for two his side were bowled out in the afternoon session for 213, and in doing so dropped three batting bonus points. Oxfordshire’s opener was against Cheshire at Banbury.

Oxfordshire made 294 in their first innings and reduced last year’s Western champions to 74 for six at one stage before a splendid recovery saw Cheshire total 333-9 in 90 overs. The host’s were 84 for 1 second time around but rain washed out the entire final day.

Oxfordshire’s last visit to Falmouth was for the MCCA Trophy quarter final in 2005 which Cornwall won by five wickets with David Roberts making 76 not out and Justin Stephens taking five wickets.

The previous championship meeting at Falmouth was a soggy affair in 1999. The visitors had the best of a rain interrupted opening day but heavy rain completely washed out the second, and in those days, final day.

Cornwall’s team was still to be announced at time of going to press. Skipper Tom Sharp last week passed the milestone of being the first Cornish player to achieve both 3,000 runs and 150 wickets.

This weekend he will lead Cornwall for the fiftieth time in a championship fixture, having missed only one game through injury since he took over the reins at the end of the 2001 season.