Clive Rosevear Insurance Hawkey Cup quarter-final (Wednesday)
Callington v Werrington
GRAHAM Wagg and Harry Sawyers played starring roles as Callington won a classic Hawkey Cup quarter-final against local rivals Werrington on Wednesday night by 13 runs.
In front of a large crowd, a 45-metre boundary was peppered with regularity from both sides as the visitors nearly pulled off one of the great chases to knock off Callington’s 225-6.
Werrington chose to field but found themselves on the end of a remarkable assault from former county star Wagg.
Aidan Libby set the early tone with 15 from just 8 balls before he holed out to Adam Hodgson on the long-on fence off Dan Barnard.
Wagg then went to work, being particularly destructive with the small leg-side boundary as Ben Smeeth, George Rickard and Thulina Dilshan all bowled one-over spells for plenty.
Hodgson was a class apart at the other end with his off-spin and had Liam Lindsay (28) caught on the mid-wicket fence by Mark Gribble.
Wagg scored all around the ground, but was particularly strong through the leg-side as the hundred came up in just the tenth over.
Ben Jenkin was brought on in the 13th over and although expensive, as he would be in the circumstances, he bowled well and was unlucky.
To begin with some fortune and big shots from new man Max Waller didn’t help, but he eventually dismissed the former Somerset star for 38 (23 balls) when he missed a scoop and was bowled at 185-3.
Wagg followed five runs later for a brilliant 91 from just 50 balls when he top edged Jenkin to Sam Hockin running around from mid-off.
Despite Jenkin (3-46 off 4) taking a third and Hodgson (2-28 off 4) returning to take a second, some late runs from Luke Brenton (8) and Matt Shepherd (15 off 6) got Cally up to 225-6.
Needing more than 11 an over meant Werrington could ill-afford a slow six-over powerplay and openers Thulina Dilshan and Sam Hockin provided the dream start.
They managed 69 off the first five overs off Ben Ellis and Aidan Libby, the same two who only four days before had almost single-handedly dismissed Penzance.
Again the short boundary was targeted with regularity, which included Dilshan sending two huge sixes into the hedge off Shepherd.
However the Sri Lankan (28 off 14) went in the next over when he swept Wagg’s left-arm spin to short fine-leg where Harry Sawyers took a fine catch at the second attempt.
Mark Gribble (18 off 12) soon got into his stride, but having dispatched Shepherd for a huge six over wide long-on, he could only pick out Lindsay at mid-on off the next delivery.
Hockin continued on his merry way, smashing the bowling to all parts and was joined by Hodgson who made 20 himself.
Sawyers was introduced for the 11th over and his leg-spin turned the tide.
At 144-2 off 12 overs Werrington were somehow favourites, but despite having to contend with the short boundary to the leg-side, Sawyers had Hodgson caught on the fence by Ellis.
The first ball of the 14th over saw Libby drop a sitter off Hockin as he ran around from cover, but both he and Jenkin went in Sawyers’ third over.
Jenkin holed out to Wagg before Hockin’s brilliant knock (71 off 42 balls) was ended via Luke Brenton’s catch on the big boundary.
At 160-5 Werrington needed a miracle, but up stepped John Moon.
He smashed five sixes from just 12 balls faced including two off Wagg.
But Sawyers’ final over the 17th, saw him trap both Nick Lawson (1) and Moon (35) lbw.
The tail kept the runs coming but with 13 needed off the final over bowled by Wagg, he had Barnard caught on the cover boundary by Brenton to end a classic.
Callington visit Wadebridge Seconds in the semi-final on Wednesday night (June 12).