VONEUS VILLAGE CUP SEMI-FINAL (SUNDAY)

Grampound Road v Foxton Granta

GRAMPOUND Road’s hopes of becoming the first Cornish side to reach Lord’s since 1994 was ended on Sunday as visitors Foxton Granta earned an eight-run success.

In a thrilling contest, Grampound were set just 154 to win from 40 overs, and after reaching 97-2, looked odds-on to ease to victory.

But the Cambridgeshire visitors rallied to produce a remarkable comeback and break Cornish hearts.

In front of a large crowd, the majority desperate to see the Road do what Werrington last did 30 years ago, it was Foxton Granta that won the toss and chose to bat.

But the hosts struck early as paceman Nathan Keevil bowled Douglas Rice for four (12-1).

Adam Webster and Johnny Atkinson patiently added 47 before Atkinson (16) was run out by Tom Orpe from cover.

Tom Fox-Dean had Richard Kaufman lbw looking to pull for just a single, and when Webster (40) could only smash a full-toss from Alex Lean back to the bowler it was 71-4 in the 23rd over.

Fox-Dean had Will Brown lbw for nought (72-5), before a pivotal partnership of 63 between Harry Hopwood and skipper Lewys Hill.

Hopwood was first to go in the 37th over bowled by Chris Roberts for 32, before the same bowler had Hill caught by Neville in his next over (142-7).

After Hill went, the final nine balls crucially saw 11 added as Ravi Mahendra made eight.

The reply started well for the Road as openers Jack Mingo and Alex Lean added 57 before Lean, who made 39 from 59 balls, played forward to the left-arm spin of Ravi Mahendra and edged through to wicket-keeper Ashley Clark.

Mingo (15) went in the next over, lbw to Kaufman looking to pull, but although steady, previous round heroes Chris Roberts and skipper Tom Orpe put on 36 in 11 overs.

Knowing they needed a wicket, Hill brought back paceman Sam Beer and his spell proved decisive.

Bowling an awkward length from a decent height, he first had Orpe (14) edging behind to Clark, before he struck in the next over when Harry Gregory looked to punch off the back foot, and again Clark did the rest.

Beer’s next over saw him get his third when new man Alex May could only send a pull shot into the waiting hands of Mahendra (103-5).

That meant 51 were required from 59 balls with the run-rate ever getting closer towards a run a ball.

Roberts and Chris Willett added 12, before Roberts advanced down the pitch to Kaufman to hit him through the covers, but could only miss and was stumped.

Willett and Nathan Keevil put on 16, but with three overs to go, 24 were needed.

Keevil was run out off the first ball of the 38th over, but when Willett (19no) smashed Hill’s off-spin for a huge six off the next ball, it was 16 required off the same number of deliveries.

That equation became 13 off two with three wickets in-hand, but it was the penultimate over that sorted it.

Paceman Henry Campbell had Lewis Sanders superbly caught at mid-on by Will Brown before Neville was run-out next ball by Webster.

Just two came off the over meaning 11 was needed off the last bowled by Hill.

A dot and a two got it started before Fox-Dean was bowled going for a big shot, as Foxton’s players and supporters celebrated wildly.

For Grampound, a second successive semi-final defeat will hurt, but the club can take great pride in their run, and look a good bet for promotion back to the ECB Cornwall Premier League.