Cornwood crash to defeat by Sandford

CORNWOOD crashed to a 118-run defeat against Premier Division leaders Sandford in the top-of-the-table clash at Oak Park.

- CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

The Wood had been hoping to wipe out the seven-point differential between Sandford at the top and themselves a mere seven points lower down the table in third.

Instead, the gap between the two title contenders is now 20 points – Sandford (123pts), Cornwood (103) with Bradninch & Kentisbeare (119) wedged between them.

Sandford made 260 all out in the last of their 50 overs with Aryan Lakra and skipper Jackson Thompson both making half-centuries.

No one got as far as 40 for Cornwood, who were bowled out for 142, largely by Lakra and Thompson.

Elliott Staddon, the Cornwood captain, said: “We were beaten by the better side on the day.

“We let Sandford get too many in the first innings and their spinners made it tough to score and built pressure on the chase.”

Cornwood may have lost this particular battle, but there is plenty of time for a counter offensive.

“There are areas to improve on but there is a lot of the season left,” said Staddon.

Lakra (64) and Thompson (54) put on 113 for Sandford’s third wicket after they had been 16 for two.

Top-ups from Ryan Glass, who made 22, and Tom Gidney (29) kept the Sandford total rising.

Wicket-taking was hard work at times for Cornwood, although Matt Skeemer (2-37), Naveen Fernando (1-32) and Jack Ormsby (1-31) all operated in four-an-over territory or below.

Ben Privett, wicketless in his first spell, claimed three for 21 second time around for match figures of three for 54.

Privett opened up for Cornwood when they batted and his 39 was the top score of the innings.

Fernando made 32 with nothing better than 12 from tail-ender Jacob Caunter from the rest. The game probably got away during the slide from 74 for two to 93 for six.

Spinners Thompson (4-32) and Lakra (2-24) did most of the damage with the ball.