Penzance skipper Brad Wadlan admitted they were ‘completely outplayed’ after West Cornwall rivals St Just secured a 20th Vinter Cup crown with a 44-run success at Camborne on Wednesday night.

The Cape Road outfit totted up 153-7 after winning the toss with man-of-the-match Philip Nicholas making 53, while useful contributions from Rhys Brownfield (21), Chamikara Edirisinghe (20) and Logan Curnow (20) helped.

Pakistani pro Mehran Sanwal was the pick of the bowlers with 2-18 from his four.

Wadlan took 25 off the first two overs of the chase, but once he departed to Ellis May (2-16 off 3) at 47-3 in the sixth over for a rapid 37 from 22 balls, St Just closed down the game brilliantly.

Nicholas’ (3-14 off 4) fine all-round game continued as he and Lewis Stephens (2-11 off 3) shared five wickets as Nicholas’ dismissal of Grant Stone for 18 reduced Penzance to 90-8.

Joe Clifon-Griffith got the final wicket when Tom Dinnis (11) was caught by Neil Curnow as the West Cornwall side ensured the St Clare outfit didn’t go level on Vinter Cup crowns.

Wadlan told the Voice: “We were completely outplayed. I thought from over eight onwards, St Just hit the bad balls and put pressure on our bowlers.

“Nicholas played well and struck the ball cleanly and they targeted the fifth bowler in our attack, although we felt 150-odd was about par.

“On a very good wicket and fast outfield, reaching 30-0 off three overs was good, but unfortunately for us they kept taking wickets at important times and we struggled to rotate the strike in the middle overs.”

Wadlan had the option of bringing in pacemen Tommy Sturgess and Josh Croom, plus wicket-keeper Nic Halstead-Cleak after missing the quarter-final and semi-final victories, but the Wales National Counties player/coach had no regrets.

He said: “I know we left out Croom, Sturgess and Halstead-Cleak, but I would do the same again. No doubt they would have added huge value and skills in the side, but the group that have shown commitment in the three earlier rounds fully deserved to be there and were good enough to be there.

“Naturally we are very disappointed, but with two big games this weekend we can’t dwell on things as we’ve got to brush ourselves down and be much much better than we were.”

Penzance, who have a 14-point advantage at the top of the ECB Cornwall Premier League table at the halfway stage, welcome St Austell who beat them in the opening game of the season on Saturday, before hosting West of England Premier One leaders Bridgwater on Sunday in the last 16 of the ECB National Club Championship.

Both matches get underway at 1pm.