Minor Counties Championship 2004

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Shropshire v Cornwall at Bridgnorth Mon 24- Wed 26 May

Wiltshire v Cornwall at Trowbridge Sun 13 -Tue 15 June

Cornwall v Oxfordshire at Truro 27-29 June

Cornwall v Berkshire at Camborne 11-13 July

Devon v Cornwall at Exmouth 8-10 August

Cornwall v Dorset at St Austell 22-24 August

Cornwall v Dorset at St Austell 22-24 August

Day 1 Rain in the late afternoon interrupted play on three occasions with 34 overs lost on the day. Cornwall after being put in ended on 252-8 (Ryan Driver 73no, Carl Gazzard 62)

Day 2 No play

Following a 1pm inspection play was abandoned for the day due to the wet state of the ground.

Day 3 No Play Match Abandoned as a draw

Following furher heavy downpours the ground was saturated with puddles at 10am so the match was abandoned as a draw. Cornwall took 6 points to end the season with 69 points which does not quaify for next year's C & G Trophy, irrespective of any other results around the country.

Match Scorecard & Report

Devon v Cornwall at Exmouth 8-10 August

Day 1 Rain reduced play to 54 overs in the day. Devon after electing to bat 220-9

Day 2     Devon 231 all out (Rollins 5-68 on championship debut)

Cornwall 419-6 (90overs)   Gazzard 14, Thomas 100, Roberts 15, Price 20, Driver 115, Sharp 113

Thomas's record equalling 12th Century for Cornwall .First time ever Cornwall have scored Three 100's in an innings (or a match even). Driver / Sharp's 179 is an all time 5th wicket record for Cornwall

Cornwall lead by 188 runs. Devon 2nd innings Close 42-4

Day 3 Devon 203 all out Cornwall 18-0 Cornwall win by 10 wickets

First Championship win in Devon since 1979 and only second in 27 games since then (Truro 1998 rain affected game the other)

Rollins Match figures 10-118 Match Scorecard & Report    Devon Website Day 3 report

Cornwall v Berkshire at Camborne 11-13 July

Day 1 Start delayed to 3.20pm due to rain. Cornwall won the toss. Pearce late change replacing injured Roberts. 42 overs of play lost on the day. Berkshire reach 226-5 at the close thanks to unbeaten century from Richard Howitt.

Day 2 Berkshire bowled out in the 90th over for 280. Cornwall all out 181 and Berkshire extend lead to 256 at the close with 8 second innings wickets standing.

Day 3 Berkshire added 65 in 8 overs to declare on 222-2. Cornwall set 322 of a min of 94 overs. Dismissed at 4.04pm off 68.3 overs for 225. Hands 56, Caddy 47, Tunnadine 31, Hunkin 27; O Sullivan 5-59. Lost by 96 runs.

Match Scorecard & Report 

Cornwall v Oxfordshire at Truro 27-29 June

Cornwall enjoyed a good opening day in their Minor Counties Championship game with Oxfordshire at Truro. After a poorstart which, saw them reduced to 37-3, a superb stand of 233 (9th highest) between Ryan Driver, who went onto a magnificent 183, and Tom Sharp with a maiden County century saw them reach 380-9 in their allotted overs. The visitors were on 25 without loss at the close.

Day 2 Oxfordshire restricted to 245-8 Cornwall 142-4 at the close to lead by 277

Day 3 Oxfordshure set 344 in a minimum of 92 overs. All out for 227 in the 72nd over. Driver 6-51, Caddy 3-52. Cornwall win by 116 runs

Match Scorecard  

Wiltshire v Cornwall at Trowbridge 13- 15 June

Match Scorecard  

Defeat for Cornwall by the large margin of 237 runs on was a big disappointment, particularly as over the first two, see saw, days the Duchy had at times looked on top. Wiltshire were back playing championship cricket at their County ground at Trowbridge, after a ten year gap and a major restoration of the impressive, two tier Victorian Pavilion.

Cornwall enjoyed a good opening day. In the first hour after electing to bat the home team were reduced to 48-4 with Ryan Driver and Lee Caddy taking two wickets each. Mike Coles and Richard Foley put on 98 for the fifth wicket then another mini collapse saw Wiltshire with problems at 168-8. The Duchy were frustrated though due to Richard Bedbrook's 64 and Kevin Nash with 23 at number 10 as they reached 251 all out with a ball of the 90 overs unused.. Cornwall didn't have a great start losing Gary Thomas lbw when pushing forward to Bedbrook for 0. James Hands and Ben Price took the total to 55 before Hands was unlucky to be caught at mid off after a ricochet from a close fielder. Chris Hunkin, promoted up the order after a scoring a glut of runs in the league this season, batted fluently and with Price continuing his good recent form the pair saw it to 103-2 overnight.

On the second morning the pair continued to take their stand to 99 before Price had to retire hurt with an aggravation to a previous knee injury. Driver took his place and was soon positively driving the spinners down the ground hitting a six and 6 fours in his 31 . Hunkin's dismissal at 182-3 for a well made 34 was the start of a collapse which saw the last 8 wickets fall for just 49 runs. Martin Pearce was run out following a misjudged run while the other seven fell to the spin of Bates and Foley. Price returned at the fall of the eighth wicket with Hunkin as his runner. He took his score from 71 to 85 , striking three glorious boundaries, but was left stranded 15 short of a century with a county career best of 85. Cornwall were bowled out for 231 to have a deficit of 20 on first innings. Wiltshire's second innings got off to a much better start. With Chandler and Smith adding 50 before an unnecessary run out. Cornwall's spinners hands and sharp came on and took control as wickets fell. At 118-5 it was looking good but the game was taken away in the final hour's play of a hot evening thanks to a great knock from Steve (affectionately known as Reggie) Perrin. The Corsham right hander playing his 99th championship game thumped a valuable fifty to put the Cornish on the defensive. With Foley, playing his first game for 8 years providing able support and enjoying a fine all round game.. They added 84 by the close.

On the third morning the pair carried on, seemingly with ease, to take their stand to a county sixth wicket record of 173. Cornwall's second innings never got off the ground. On a dry pitch the spinners might have been expected to create the problems but seamers Nash and Bedbrook knocked over the top order. The middle order then collapsed with four wickets falling for just 10 runs and with plenty of overs to spare thoughts of hanging on for a draw never looked likely. Nobody was able to bat for an hour as defeat came in the first over after tea with the County being bowled out for 86.

Shropshire v Cornwall at Bridgnorth 24 to 26 May

Match Scorecard     Shropshire Star Report

Cornwall's opening Minor Counties Championship game of the season, on the banks of the River Severn, at Bridgnorth ended in defeat inside two days against a strong Shropshire side, that included three professionals. Having conceded a first innings deficit of 133 a disappointing second innings batting performance saw the Duchy dismissed for 121 at just after 6 o'clock on the second evening. On the opening day all had gone well at first. Under blue skies, having opted to bat, Martin Pearce and Gary Thomas opened with a stand of 81 David Roberts and Thomas took the total to 187 to put some worried expressions onto the faces of the home officials. Thomas went on to strike his eleventh championship century to get within one of Malcolm Dunstan's all time record. With Sharp and Kent going well at 273-4 and 13 overs still available the wheels came off however. The County lost its last five wickets for just 11 runs to end on 305 all out. The momentum had swung and the home team reached a promising 99 without loss overnight.

On the second morning Lee Caddy made two early strikes to give hope. However the former first Class pairing of Neil Smith (Warwickshire & England) and Tim Mason (Leicestershire) added a quickfire 111 for the third wicket. Smith , on his championship debut for his adopted new county, went to his 100 with a six. He then continued unleashing an array of strokes. Just when anything looked possible he drilled a tracer bullet straight to Sharp at cover, having made 142. The other professionals, Mason (73) and Duncan Catterall (101 no) both produced the goods to see the home team to an imposing 438-5. Cornwall's fate was virtually decided within minutes of the start of their innings loosing Pearce, Thomas and Price without a run on the board. Sharp (37) and Roberts (24) rallied but wickets tumbled with the end coming with almost half an hour of the day remaining.

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