WADEBRIDGE were crowned T20 champions of Cornwall for the first time on Wednesday night as they thrashed St Just by nine wickets at St Austell.

While St Just are 14-time winners and reached the National T20 Finals Day at Chelmsford and Cardiff in the past, this was just the third time the Swans had reached the decider having previously lost in 1967 and 2021.

That record looked in danger of continuing when the Cape Road outfit were flying along at 103-3 in the 13th over courtesy of Chamikara Edirisinghe and Phil Nicholas, but once Edirisinghe was caught behind off man-of-the-match Elliot Dunnett (4-18 off 4), the wheels fell off in spectacular fashion as they lost their last seven wickets for just four runs in 27 balls.

Knowing they had to bowl the Swans out, Edirisinghe (1-20) was thrown the new ball by Gareth May, and although he dismissed Matt Robins for just a single, James Turpin and Australian Lachlan Crump put on 102 as they raced to victory in just 14.1 overs to reach the South West Area T20 Finals Day at Bridgwater on Sunday, August 3.

Earlier, May had won the toss and like in their upset victory over Penzance in the Vinter Cup final a week earlier, decided to bat.

Callum Wilson bowled Rhys Brownfield for a single as he looked to go down the ground.

The ever-dangerous Neil Curnow smoked two glorious boundaries off Turpin, but somehow guided a low full-toss to Matt Lawrence at mid-on in the same over.

At 18 for two in just three overs, St Just needed a partnership, and it came as Ellis May and Edirisinghe took their time, but also made the use of the six-over powerplay, reaching 42-2.

May got boundaries away through point and down to third-man, while the Sri Lankan tickled the ball down to fine-leg and blasted Turpin wide of mid-off, until May was bowled by Matt Lawrence’s left-arm spin for 22 in the eighth over.

Wadebridge were in the ascendency before Nicholas took it upon himself to change the momentum as he struck three fours in succession as they reached halfway at 69-3.

Seventeen came off Matt Robins’ sole over as they reached 95-3 after 12, and after Edirisinghe brought up the hundred with a six over long-on off Dunnett, the Wadebridge youth product roared back.

Edirisinghe (30 off 29) edged behind to Fred Wilkinson and next ball Dunnett yorked Logan Curnow with a beauty.

Nicholas (34 off 19) made it three wickets in as many balls when he was lbw sweeping Lawrence, and from there it was a procession as Dunnett and Lawrence (3-19 off 4) shared six wickets before Crump bowled Ben Stevens to round off a remarkable comeback.

Robins fell in the second over when he top-edged a sweep to be caught by Joe Clifton-Griffith running in from deep square-leg, but that was good as it got for St Just as Turpin and Crump cruised to victory without giving a chance.

Both men struck the ball all around the ground as they reached their half centuries. Crump (57) did it off 31 balls while Turpin, who finished 54 not out off 41 balls, reached the milestone when he launched Gareth May over mid-wicket to win the match.