Cornwall cricket starts but it's a bad day in the NCCA

FOLLOWING three wet April weekends that ruined Cornish cricket club's pre-season plans, the weather finally relented on Sunday to allow the 2025 season to get underway with a mix of representative and cup games.

- by MICHAEL WEEKS

Cornwall got their NCCA Trophy campaign underway with a dramatic win against Oxfordshire at St Just.

After losing Karl Leathley and Lewis Goldsworthy in the second over, wickets continued to fall, and at one stage the hosts were 68-8. However, Scott Kellow, returning to the side after three years, made 37 off 25 balls with two sixes to get the total to 113.

At 73-2 the visitors looked well on course but dramatically lost their last eight wickets for 21 runs. Kellow took 4-14, including the first hat-trick for Cornwall in the 42 years of the competition. Goldsworthy supported with 3-13 from ten overs.

The 94 all out was the lowest scored by a Cornwall opponent in the 50-over competition history.

Elsewhere, it was not a good day for Cornish clubs in the Rothesay National Club Championship. A weakened Helston were bowled out for 81 at Bridgwater and lost by nine wickets. Truro went down to a one-run defeat at Cornwood. Murray Wyatt hit 19 off the last over to pull up just short.