St Austell win the WT Edwards Cup

July 13, 2023

Scorecard Full Match on Penzance's YouTube Channel

St Austell – Penzance 117-9 (S Keene 25, C Purchase 20; J Leadbeater 3-18, M Lloyd 2-28) lost to

St Austell 120-5 (19) G Bone 25no, A Bone 22, M Bone 21; G Lawrence 2-22) by five wickets.

The ‘Ted Collins’ Player of the Match – Gary Bone.

© Michael Weeks League President Vic Hassell presents the Player of the Match Award to Gary Bone

St Austell won the WT Edwards Cup for the fourth time in a thrilling game at Wheal Eliza by five wickets, with an over to spare. By co-incidence the exact margin that Penzance had beaten Camborne in the Bradleys Vinter Cup final the previous week. The last St Austell Edwards Cup success was the win over Troon in the 1996 Final - before many of the current team were even born! Penzance had won their previous four finals since 2017.

St Austell did well in the powerplay with Adam Snowdon and Liam Watson restricting to 25-2 off six overs. Watson had Chris Gibson caught at cover and two balls later Seabrook was run out by Connor Cooke after being sent back by Christian Purchase. Dangerman Purchase (20) threatened, hitting a maximum, before slicing to Gary Bone at gully to make it 66-3 in the eleventh over. Simon Keene (25) skied to keeper Alex Bone six runs later. It left the lower order eight overs in which they mustered 45 runs with wickets falling regularly to end on 117-9. The final over only saw three runs added with Jonty Leadbeater (3-18) removing Giles Lawrence and Jonny Ludlam.

Similarly, St Austell lost both openers early with Lawrence having Dan Jarman caught at mid-wicket by Keene and Curtis Dalby, attempting an expansive shot over mid-wicket, was bowled two balls later at 22-2 in the fourth over. Mike and Alex Bone added 41 before a mix-up saw Alex (22) run out after being sent back. Andrew Libby bowled Leadbeater and Mike Bone was bowled by Ludlam at 89-5 leaving 29 required off 21 balls. Just as they did in the Premier League game four days earlier skipper Gary Bone (25no) and Adam Snowdon (14no) held their nerve, both hitting crucial maximums. In a tense finish, 16 was needed off two overs. After Bone took seven off two balls Snowden struck Keene for a straight six and then glanced the winning boundary with six balls to spare to set off jubilant scenes.

St Austell will represent Cornwall in the ECB Vitality Club Area T20 Finals Day at Bridgwater on Sunday 6 August.

Sunday 27^th August Regional Finals (North at Denby CC, Derbyshire, South at Basingstoke & North Hants CC, Hampshire)

Sunday 17^th September National Final at Derbyshire CCC