Narrow defeat for Falmouth (From This is The West Country)

Narrow defeat for Falmouth

10:56am Wednesday 16th July 2008

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Having spent most of the season occupying a top three spot in the Jolly's Drinks ECB Cornwall Premier League Falmouth find themselves down in fourth position after losing narrowly to Paul at Trescobeas on Saturday.

It was a second successive defeat for Falmouth who are effectively eight points behind Truro who are in the runners-up spot.

St Just, who visit Trescobeas for the third time this season on Saturday, have opened up a 44 point gap at the top. Paul, who themselves have had a poor month, soon made early inroads into the home team's batting line up on a ground recovering from the week's "summer monsoons."

Kiwi bowler Dave Twigg made two early strikes getting rid of Duncan Ayres for 0 before holding onto a return chance from Larry Martin with seven on the board.

Richard Kellow followed, the first of three victims for Anthony Hosking. Stefan Churcher then went for a single - bowled by Twigg to make it a perilous 13 for four. Rob Eccleston failed to score and was snapped up by keeper Andrew Snell at 21 for five and when Hosking struck again to get rid of Jon Udy at 45 for six an early finish looked on the cards.

Antony Angove, who had watched the carnage from the other end, and George Popperwell had other ideas however.

They added a vital 70 for the seventh wicket before former Falmouth player and part-time bowler Ryan Edwards had Popperwell caught for 34.

Angove finally fell with the score at 143 after facing 115 balls in two and a half hours at the crease. He hit eleven fours in his 76 before Tom Hyslop claimed his only success of the day.

Former Troon youngster Grant Rowe, who was drafted in for the unavailable Adrian Noott to keep wicket, didn't last long on his debut.

The home side weren't done with however as the ever dependable Sean Turner combined with Dave Neville to add 34 for the last wicket.

Turner, who made 29, became Twigg's fourth victim when he held on to a return catch as the innings ended on 181 with sixteen balls unused.

Paul didn't get a great start themselves as Craig Osborne went for three and Edwards was caught behind off Ayres for 12.

Hyslop held things together to make 59 before Udy got the breakthrough. Then Kelvin Snell steered his side towards victory by also making a fifty. However a mini collapse saw Twigg and Cas James disappear cheaply and when Snell followed sixteen were still needed with only two wickets remaining.

Former Leedstown player Dan Magee and skipper Paul Osborne held their nerve however to see out victory with nine balls remaining. Ayres took three for 41 with two wickets for Popperwell and Udy apiece.

It's a busy weekend ahead at Trescobeas. After the champions' visit on Saturday Cornwall play Wales Minor Counties in a three day game starting at 11am on Sunday.

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