GRAMPOUND Road will hope to make club history on Sunday when they welcome Foxton Granta in the last four of the Voneous Village Cup (midday).
The Road reached the same stage last year, losing to Kent outfit Leeds and Broomfield, but a victory over their Cambridgeshire opponents will see a Cornish side reach the final at Lord’s for the first time since Werrington were beaten by Elvaston in 1994.
Troon remain the only team from the Duchy to have won the competition.
They were the inaugural winners in 1972 before securing further titles in 1973 and 1976.
The Road have had a relatively simple passage to get through, that was until a thrilling quarter-final.
In Round One of the Devon and Cornwall group, Jack Mingo’s 108 propelled them to 230-5 at Perranporth before they went on to win by 84 runs.
Grampound were handed a walkover by Gulval in round two, which was also the same method they got through against Devon outfit Yelverton Bohemians.
The Devon and Cornwall (Group 29) final against County Division One rivals St Erme saw ‘The Road’ rack up 243-5, Chris Roberts making 128 from 120 balls in a stand of 162 with skipper Tom Orpe who contributed 59.
St Erme’s innings never got any momentum, and it was Cornwall Over 50s spinner David Neville that was the star with 3-22 from his eight overs.
The Road were at home once more in Round Five when they took on Sully Spartans from Wales.
In a game reduced to 30 overs, the hosts made a competitive 194-7 with Chris Roberts (33), Tom Orpe (40), Harry Gregory (28) and Alex Lean (27) all passing twenty in a fine team effort.
Although skipper Adeed Ayaz Khan made 40 for the visitors, they were struggling at 124-8 after 23 overs when play was called off.
Nathan Keevil, David Neville and Tom Fox-Dean shared six wickets.
The last 16 tie with Oxfordshire outfit Horspath was a curious affair.
The Road were away to begin with, but the with match abandoned at tea and competition rules stating any replays are played at the reverse venue, the Cornishmen were handed home advantage a week later on July 14.
Horspath’s innings stuttered all the way through as they were held to just 127-9, Stephen Green adding 44 from 99 deliveries.
The Road’s three-man spin attack of Alex Lean (2-29), Tom Fox-Dean (3-25) and David Neville (2-31) were at it again, taking seven wickets between them from 24 overs.
Grampound were in a spot of bother themselves at 74-5 in the 27th over, but Tom Orpe led from the front with an unbeaten 56 as he and Harry Gregory put on 57 to get them home with three overs to spare.
The quarter-final with Gloucestershire’s Painswick was a classic that the Road won from the jaws of defeat.
With the West of England Premier League side 118-2 in pursuit of 192, Painswick were cruising.
But Tom Hughes’ 4-34 coupled with regular wickets saw the hosts fight back in front of a large crowd.
Neville (2) and Lean shared three wickets after Nathan Keevil’s double early strike and Hughes’ heroics, but Painswick required five off the last over with one wicket remaining.
But Fox-Dean held his nerve to bowl visiting captain Jack Hobbis to spark wild celebrations and keep the dream alive of a day out at the Home of Cricket.
To do so they will have to see off Foxton Granta who make the long trip down from the east of the country.
They were only formed in 2021 following the merger of Foxton CC and Cambridge Granta CC, and the decision has clearly paid off.
Their 69-run success over Suffolk side Woolpit saw them into their second Village Cup semi-final, while they are third in the table going into Saturday’s Cambridgeshire and Huntingdsonshire Premier League Division One clash with Wisbech Town (11am).
They will then have to make the long trip down to Cornwall ahead of the midday start.
The winners will take on 2022 champions Dumbleton (Worcestershire) who entertain Lancashire outfit Woodhouses.