Penzance’s route to the showpiece was sealed in style last month, demolishing Wanstead and Snaresbrook by 179 runs in the semi-final. Now, 47 years after Troon lifted the Village Cup, they have the chance to bring a national trophy back to Cornwall.
Captain Brad Wadlan said reaching the final was the culmination of a decade of effort. He said: “It’s certainly something that the club have been desperate to try and achieve over the last 10 years.
“We’ve pushed and pushed and pushed and fallen at the last hurdle in previous years. But no Cornwall side has ever made a national knockout final.
“I know Troon and Werrington made the Village Cup final, but the national knockout is open to every club in the UK to enter so it's a huge achievement from our boys.”
Ormskirk arrive as formidable opponents, fresh from clinching the Liverpool and District Premier League title and boasting Lancashire prospect George Lavelle. But Wadlan insists his side will be ready for the challenge.
“They’re obviously a very good side as well to reach the final of the national knockout," he added. “They won their league last week. They play 22 games in their season rather than the 18 that we play, so they've had two extra weeks of playing which you could look at as a pro or it could be tiring.
“I think us having a rest has actually helped us recharge and freshen up a bit.
“Ormskirk have got a couple of ex-professionals from Lancashire, obviously a very good overseas player as well. But we’ve done all our research for every round that we’ve played and we've left no stone unturned, so we’ll be fully prepped, ready to go.”
Penzance (from): C Purchase, J Paull (wk), C Sharland, B Wadlan (capt), N Halstead-Clark, G Stone, J Croom, T Sturgess, J Ludlam, M Sanwal, T Dinnis, C Hearn, G Lawrence.
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