CHAMPIONS Penzance have an 18-point lead at the top after a 43-run victory at second-placed Wadebridge.

The West Cornwall outfit headed up to Egloshayle Park just five ahead of the Swans, but opener Jack Paull’s superb 96 helped them reach 279-7 in a game reduced to 45 overs.

The visitors were 131-3 in the 31st over with Brad Wadlan out for 30, but then came the fireworks.

After Nic Halstead-Cleak (15) and Grant Stone (12) got starts, it was Josh Croom (36 off 26), Mehran Sanwal (20no off 9) and Jonny Ludlam (20no off 9) that put bat to ball. Earlier, James Turpin’s nine overs cost just 28, while spinners Matt Robins (2-44 off 5) and Matt Lawrence (2-51 off 9) got some reward.

Wadebridge then fell to 91-6 despite Lachlan Crump’s 54 as Tom Dinnis (3-66) and Mehran Sanwal (3-30) went to work.

To their credit they did rally to reach 236 all-out.

Callum Wilson was last out for 54, while Kelvin Snell (24), Lawrence (12), Elliot Dunnett (20) and injured last man MattRowe (12no) helped them make a game of it.

Elsewhere, Truro and Grampound Road picked up vital victories in their quest for survival as just nine points separate the bottom four.

Truro found themselves in trouble at 77-7 at Redruth, before Wilf Bartlett (14), Adam Price (33 off 51) and Freddie Bose (16no) gave them a sniff as Lloyd Brock (3-24) and Justin Beaton (2-30) shared five wickets.

But that proved more than enough as the Reds were shot out for just 71 in 31 overs.

Indian overseas Akhilesh Sahani took 5-35 from his nine overs, but it was the remarkable pressure applied from the other end from Bose (2-8 off 7), Scott Kellow (2-8 off 8) and Price (1-4 off 7) that proved decisive.

Grampound Road saw off visiting St Just by 30 runs.

Home skipper Tom Orpe (67) and Ravi Karunarathna (32) were set at 136-3 after 30 overs, before departing within two runs of each other.

But Harry Gregory continued his impressive season with a vital 31 and with bits and pieces coming from the lower order, they reached 217 all out. For the visitors, Ellis May (2-49) and Chamikara Edirisinghe (2-32) shared four wickets.

The visitors’ reply was dominated by Neil Curnow’s 81, but bar son Logan who made 34 from number six before departing at 98-5, the rest struggled as the end came at 187 with 20 balls to spare.

Nathan Keevil was the pick of the bowlers with 3-39, while Alex Lean (2-30) gave little away.

It means with five games to go, Truro are on 127, three behind Grampound who are two adrift of St Just.

Elsewhere in the division, third-placed Helston fell to a surprise two-run defeat to Werrington in a thriller.

Sri Lankan Thulina Dilshan made exactly 100 visitors in their 194 all out which saw spinners Lewis Goldsworthy (4-24) and Harry Saunders (3-48) share seven wickets after Jayden Mitchell (2-27) took two early ones.

Helston lost early wickets and although Steve Jenkin made a patient 42, when he departed it was 116-5.

Mark Jenkin (42 off 59) and Sunny Osmont (47 off 51) got the equation down to three required off the last ball by Dilshan (3-43), but the leg-spinner had Osmont caught off a top edge.