CORNWALL skipper Paul Smith admitted he couldn't have asked for ‘anything more’ as the Duchy produced a second emphatic victory of the season in the three-day Cluberly Championship Division Two West campaign as they thrashed Wales NC by 10 wickets at Ebbw Vale over Sunday and Monday.

The Duchy chose to field and within 44 overs had dismissed the hosts for just 143.

Pro Will MacVicar and new ball partner Ben Ellis put in a fine stint, MacVicar bowling 22 overs in succession to take 4-45 with nine of those maidens, while Ellis claimed 4-60 either side of two wickets for Grampound Road’s debutant leg-spinner Tom Fox-Dean (2-24).

Cornwall then batted themselves into a winning position, with three players making centuries in their hefty 437-6 (87.4 overs) before declaring.

They slipped to 39-2, but after Camborne skipper Alfie Macdonald made 61 and former Kent star Alex Blake 102 from just 107 balls, MacVicar (100 off 125) and skipper Paul Smith put the hosts to the sword as they took the score from 240-4 in the 51st over to 407-5 in the 83rd, only ending when man-of-the-match MacVicar was lbw to left-arm spinner Rhodri Lewis.

Werrington’s Smith then went into one-day mode, smashing nine fours and eight sixes in his 114 from 124 deliveries before declaring after falling to Luke Griffiths.

Wales to their credit dug in the second innings after falling to 87-4, and Cameron Herring’s 144 did ensure the Duchy had to bat again as MacVicar (4-63), Ellis (3-65) and off-spinner Ellis Whiteford (3-91) bowled all but 22 of the 81.3 overs sent down.

Needing just nine, Cornwall sent out Jake Rowe (8no) and Ellis (1no) to finish the job in five balls.

Reflecting on a superb two days in South Wales, Smith said: “What a performance, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the lads.

“We chose to bowl first as we saw there was a bit of weather about on the Tuesday, and on a pretty flat wicket to roll them for 129 was a monumental effort, some of the catches were ridiculous. This set the game up nicely for us and we knew we had to bat well to give ourselves a chance of winning before the rain came. Thankfully, we did just that and there were three centurions in one innings which I’m not sure has ever happened before, certainly not in my time.

“We wanted to put ourselves 300 in front and hopefully not have to bat again, and then the boys toiled away in the second innings where it was tough.

“But we stuck at it, and then to win after claiming the extra half hour’s play on the second day was superb. Godfrey Furse (team manager) informed me that it was pouring down with rain about lunchtime on the Tuesday, so we executed the plan to a tee. Although we’ve still got two tough games to play, we’re sat top of the table with maximum points and we’ve given ourselves the best chance possible of topping the division.”

Cornwall are back in action on Sunday morning at Wargrave (11am) as they take on Suffolk in an eliminator in the NCCA Dojo T20 competition for the right to face host club Berkshire in the last eight later in the afternoon.

The Duchy’s next three-day encounter is a home date with Cheshire at Redruth starting on Sunday, August 16, before the fourth and final Championship clash of the summer starts a week later when they travel to Wimborne to tackle Dorset.