Grampound Road's Lord's hopes dashed again

Grampound Road could not reach their target

Grampound Road missed out on a Lord's final for the second successive year as they lost in the semi-finals of the National Village Cup.

The Cornish side were beaten by eight runs at home by Cambridgeshire side Foxton Granta CC.

Having won the toss and elected to bat Foxton Granta scored 153-8 off their 40 overs as Adam Webster and Lewys Hill top-scored with 40 while Tom Fox-Dean took 2-20.

But the Cornish side fell agonisingly short in their reply as they were bowled out for 145 with three balls to spare.

The hosts started well as Alex Lean made 39 in a first-wicket stand of 57 with Jack Mingo (15), while Chris Roberts scored 26 and skipper Tom Orpe 14.

But Grampound Road struggled after Orpe was caught with the score on 97-3 after 27 overs as the hosts lost their remaining wickets for just 48 runs as - Sam Beer taking 3-33 and Richard Kaufman 2-25.

"It hurts, especially this time," Orpe told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"We feel like we were the better side. It was so close this time and I'm so proud of the boys."

Having beaten Gloucestershire-based Painswick by four runs in a nail-biting quarter-final last month Grampound Road had hoped to banish their memories of their semi-final loss from last year.

The Cornish side were thrashed by 137 runs to Kent-based Leeds and Broomfield in the 2023 semi-finals.

"We didn't leave anything out there at all, it went right down to the wire unlike last time," added Orpe.

"They were a great side, they fought really hard, they didn't give us anything in those middle overs so credit where credit's due."

Foxton Granta celebrated booking their place at Lord's