ST AUSTELL skipper Alex Bone felt the game was in for a ‘really exciting finish’ as the rain eventually put pay to their ECB Cornwall Premier League clash at Helston on Saturday.

The Saints were 66-5 needing 142 to win after the Blues had earlier been dismissed for 172 in a game reduced to 45 and then 42 overs.

Mike Bone (3-29 off 7) and Ben Sleeman (3-27 off 4.1) shared six wickets towards the end after Helston cruised to 103-1 with Dan Jenkin (47), Billy Taylor (47) and Steve Jenkin (31) all in the runs. However, spinners Andrew Libby (1-29) and Gary Bone (2-29) pulled things back.

St Austell’s innings, which saw them slip to 12-4 against Ryan Tonkin and Aussie Jayden Mitchell, was heavily interrupted and eventually were left needing 142 off 25 overs.

With Tonkin bowled out having taken 3-18 from his five and Mitchell (2-8 off 3) having just two left, Bone and Adam Snowdon took on the change bowlers.

But with Bone 29 not out and Snowdon unbeaten on 16, they left the field after 12.1 overs and never returned.

With both sides having to have batted 20 overs to constitute a game under the DLS Method, the match was abandoned.

Reflecting on events at Beacon Parc, Bone told the Voice: “We won the toss on a pitch that should do quite a bit early on, unfortunately we didn’t manage to get the ball in the right areas.

“(Adam Snowdon) Snowy, Gary, Libbs (Andrew Libby), and Mike pulled the game back and bowled really tightly to keep Helston to a chaseable score which was a good effort considering they were 103-1.

“That said, we knew we knew we was going to have to bat well to get the score. The game was in the balance and it was a shame the rain came as it was shaping up to be a really exciting finish.”

The result leaves the Saints fourth in the table, 14 points off leaders Redruth and three behind Saturday’s visitors, Wadebridge.

Bone added: “Wadebridge are a really good side with some proper cricketers, so it’s going to be another really hard game.

“We normally have really close games against them, so let’s hope we can put in another top performance.”