ECB Cornwall Premier League preview – Saturday, June 20

Callington (1) v Redruth (5)

LEADERS Callington are enjoying a superb season having reached the Hawkey Cup final on Tuesday night at Werrington, as well as sitting top of the table in the Premier.

The Greens make three changes from last week’s huge victory over fellow title hopefuls Wadebridge.

Devon youngster Matt Whalley is available after his school game and will bat in the middle-order and bowl his left-arm spin in place of Dan Davis, while batsman Blake Tancock and seamer Spencer Whatley also come in for Ben Allsop and the holidaying Ben Alford.

Redruth cruised to victory over Helston last weekend, helped by the heroics of skipper Liam Norwell and a fine new-ball spell from Jamie Veall.

The Reds visit Moores Park (midday) with an unchanged side.

CALLINGTON: Aidan Libby (capt), Liam Lindsay (capt), Matt Thompson (wkt), Chris Dent, Jake Rowe, Matt Whalley, Joe White, Blake Tancock, Mohammed Danyaal, Ben Ellis, Spencer Whatley.

REDRUTH: Ellis Whiteford, Toby Whiteford, Attyab Ahmad, Elliot Stoddard, Connor Poulton, Jack Hale, Liam Norwell (capt), Jack Pengilly (wkt), Ethan Best, Harley Stevens, Jamie Veall.

St Austell (8) v Camborne (6)

THE out of form Saints welcome a Camborne side who have yet to win on their travels (1pm).

St Austell were hoping to be in the title picture, but a combination of injuries, unavailability and poor performances with the bat have meant four straight defeats in the league, although it was their bowlers last week who failed to defend 242 at neighbours Grampound Road.

Skipper Alex Bone, whose troublesome finger means he won’t keep wicket, is forced into changes again this weekend.

Passport holder Gianluca Longo is injured, left-arm spinner Andrew Libby is at a wedding and opening bowler Liam Watson is on holiday.

In come young wicketkeeper Tom Mallet for his Premier League debut, as will teenage paceman Hayden Coad, while second team vice-captain Steve Raven bolsters the middle-order.

Camborne are sitting well-placed in sixth, 24 points above bottom side Grampound Road, but did only manage two points in last weekend’s emphatic defeat at champions Penzance.

ST AUSTELL: Rowen Taplin (wkt), Dan Jarman, Connor Cooke, Alex Bone (capt), Nadeera Balasooriya, Gary Bone, Tom Mallet (wkt), Steve Raven, Adam Snowdon, Matthew Lloyd, Hayden Coad.

CAMBORNE (PREDICTED): Liam Weeks (wkt), Dinuka Dilshan, Martin Jenkin, Alfie Macdonald (capt), Scott Kellow, Jamie Goldsworthy, Dan Stephens, Will Macdonald, Jacob Macdonald, Piran Moyle, Craig Johnson.

St Just (9) v Grampound Road (10)

THE biggest game of the season in the division so far takes place at Cape Road (1pm) with the hosts looking to extend their eight-point advantage over the Roadies.

Whoever loses will likely end the day bottom, but St Just skipper Gareth May at least has the luxury of naming a full-strength side for the first time this season as all-rounder Phil Nicholas and wicketkeeper Rhys Brownfield return for youngster Thomas George and veteran Mark Waters, the latter who stood in behind the stumps for their agonising defeat at Werrington last time out.

Grampound Road head west with a huge spring in their step after their seven-wicket success over St Austell which saw unbeaten seventies from Harry Gregory and Sri Lankan pro Ravi Karunarathna.

Runs have been hard to come by at St Just so far this term, a far cry from their own ground, so how they adapt will be key to the outcome.

Grampound Road give a debut to Jake Preston who returns to the club from Constantine, while seamer Dan Ferris is also available again as is spinner Tom Fox-Dean. All-rounder Alex Rust gets a recall.

Jack Mingo, Alex Lean, Chris Willett and Jake Harding-Byrne make way for various reasons.

ST JUST: Neil Curnow, Scott Harvey, Ellis May, Phil Nicholas, Chamikara Edirisinghe, Logan Curnow, Gareth May (capt), Rhys Brownfield (wkt), Joe Gore, Ben Stevens, Joe Clifton-Griffith.

GRAMPOUND ROAD: Antony Angove, Tom Orpe (capt), Harry Phillips, Harry Gregory (wkt) Ravi Karunarathna, Jake Preston, Alex Rust, Tom Fox-Dean, Dan Ferris, Lewis Sanders, David Neville.

Wadebridge (4) v Werrington (2)

WADEBRIDGE missed the chance to close the gap to Callington last Saturday following their defeat at Moores Park, and like several other sides, including tomorrow’s visitors Werrington, know they need to put a run of victories together to keep Cally in check.

The Swans make just one alteration from last weekend as wicketkeeper Fred Wilkinson is unavailable, which means a recall for in-form all-rounder Ross McLachlan as Matt Rowe takes the gloves.

Werrington head to Egloshayle Park (midday) after burgling St Just, the visitors somehow not managing to score 11 off the final three overs with six wickets in-hand. But with four wins to their name already, are going well in second.

Young all-rounder George Rickard is unavailable as swing bowler Darren Webber makes his first Premier League appearance of the season.

WADEBRIDGE: Charlie McLachlan, Lachlan Crump, Matt Rowe (wkt), Matt Robins, James Turpin, Callum Wilson, Ryan Jackson, Kelvin Snell (capt), Ross McLachlan, Matt Lawrence, Elliot Dunnett.

WERRINGTON: Adam Hodgson, John Moon, Mark Gribble, Thulina Dilshan, Paul Smith, Ben Smeeth, Nick Lawson (capt, wkt), Sam Hockin, Dan Barnard, Mark Taskis, Darren Webber.

Helston (7) v Penzance (3)

CHAMPIONS Penzance bounced back from their defeat at Wadebridge by dismissing Camborne for just 73 and their bowlers will be licking their lips to get stuck into a Helston side who are finding runs hard to come by (1pm).

That said, the Blues attack has been functioning well, but skipper Dan Jenkin knows they need to find a way of building totals if they are to avoid getting involved in a scrap at the bottom.

Penzance name an unchanged side from last Saturday, and such is the depth of their first team squad, Jonny Ludlam, Charlie Sharland and Charlie Hearn are all in the seconds as they keep faith with the team that won last week by eight wickets.

Helston bring back club legends Mark Jenkin and Gavin Tregenza, while young seamer Liam Frew also gets a go. Karl Leathley is again missing.

HELSTON: Dan Jenkin (capt), Billy Taylor (wkt), Steve Jenkin, Mark Jenkin, Jayden Mitchell, Gavin Tregenza, Bryn Evans, Lewis Stephens, Harry Saunders, Ryan Tonkin, Liam Frew.

PENZANCE: Christian Purchase (capt), Jack Paull (wkt), Basil Akram, Grant Thomson, Sammy King, Ollie Rayner, Grant Stone, Alex Ridd, Tom Dinnis, Will Moore, Ben Fletcher.