SUNDAY, November 3 saw 18 Hayle runners took part in arguably the most challenging race in the Grand Prix Race Series when they were part of a field of nearly 400 at the Cornish Marathon.

The final event in the Cornish Grand Prix series, which is organised by East Cornwall Harriers, sees runners completing 26.2 miles on roads around the beautiful East Cornwall countryside.

Participants have the chance to take in landmarks including Golitha Falls, Colliford Lake, Dozemary Pool, Jamaica Inn, Bolventer Valley and King Doniets Stones.

The overcast but dry day provided good running conditions and there was a great support on the course to spur the runners on.

The Hayle women’s team did brilliantly and managed to bring home first place overall in the team competition!

Huge congratulations to Kirsty Medlock, Fiona Gamble, Andrea Simmons, and Lucy Paull.The men’s team – Neil Hayhurst, Liam O’Neill, Mark Williams, and Ian Curnow – were a more than solid third.

In addition to valuable contributions to the women’s and men’s teams, Andrea Simmons and Neill Hayhurst took first place in their respective age categories as well! A tremendous effort. Everybody who took part in the marathon yesterday did the club proud – to complete such a challenging distance is always a huge achievement no matter the time.

Well done to every member of the Green Army who took on the race. Those members were: Scott Abraham, Helen Cattran, Nathan Cudmore, Ian Curnow, Fiona Gamble, Anna Goodman, Neil Hayhurst, Kirsty Medlock, Liam O’Neill, Lucy Paull, Nicholas Peters, Zoe Renowden, Andrew Searle, Andrea Simmons, Claire Stone, Dominic Turton, Darren Uren and Mark Williams.

Cornwall Women’s Indoor Softball Festival by Tamsin Chapman-Gunner

THE Cornwall Cricket Board proudly hosted the opening event of its Winter Indoor Softball Women’s Festival earlier this month at the Cornwall Cricket Centre on the Truro College campus.

This inaugural festival featured teams from St Austell, St Neot, Helston, and Stithians in an exciting showcase of indoor cricket.

The event saw each team compete in six-over matches lasting 30 minutes, with a unique format that included one over per bowler and two overs for each batting pair per game. The competition was intense yet played in excellent spirit, with participants demonstrating significant skill development and a deeper understanding of the indoor game.

The match results were: Stithians (253) vs St Austell (258) – St Austell won by 5 runs; St Neot (221) vs Helston (235) – Helston won by 14 runs; St Neot (228) vs St Austell (231) – St Austell won by 3 runs; St Austell (226) vs Helston (239) – Helston won by 13 runs; St Neot (238) vs Stithians (260) – Stithians won by 22 runs; Helston (248) vs Stithians (250) – Stithians won by 2 runs.

The evening highlighted the competitive nature and camaraderie among all teams, with tightly contested matches that kept players and spectators engaged.

Nick Mathews, Women and Girls Development Officer, said: It was fantastic to have such a great, well-contested evening to start off the series of festivals.

“All four teams enjoyed their evening and there was some fantastic cricket being played. It’s really exciting to be able to offer cricketing opportunities for women and girls all year round.

“The Softball festivals are just one of the projects we are looking to run over the winter for women and girls’. Other projects involve hardball women’s competitions, mums and daughters sessions and girls’ Dynamos sessions.”

Joe Skinner, Cornwall Cricket managing director added: It is great that indoor cricket is there for the women’s teams over the winter months. It is important for women to play cricket all year around, helping grow the enthusiasm and stay within the game playing in a safe and fun space.”

THE ladies competed in either an 18-hole or nine-hole Stableford on Tuesday, November 5.

The 18-hole competition was won by a trio of Sues. Sue Hodge was first with 36 points, on countback from Sue Phillips and Sue Sykes. The 9-hole honours went to Rose Howe with 19 points. Di Truscott had 18 points in second, one ahead of Anne Poole.

The following week the 18-hole competition was teams of three with two scores to count.

Jan Barker, Sally Stacey and Kathryn Bennett were first with 74 points, closely followed by Rose Howe, Annie Lobb and Dawn Emmerson with 73.

Third place went to Sue Sykes, Sandra Lloyd and Janet Cox, on count-back from Sue Hodge, Gill Tregay and Michelle Burgess, both with 67 points.

The nine-hole competition winner was Bridie Jones with 17 points, on count-back from Marilyn Start.

The Saturday League Division One saw a Texas Scramble teams of four competition on November 16 with the quartet of Luke Dillon, Bert Harper, Roz O’Shea and Charlie Phillips taking victory ahead of Matt Cole, Malcolm Livingstone, David Lockwood and Pat Sefton.

Brian Green, Adam Herman, Mike Jelbert and Susan Phillips made up the top three.

Porthpean Golf Club by Martyn Wonnacott

WHILE some players were at Perranporth contesting the Cornish Bowl against Treloy on Sunday, November 10, back at base a Stableford was taking place.

Derek Williams scored 38 points to win overall by a point from Division One winner Peter Bradbury.

Lee Varney, Martin Mumford and Vince Averill were tied on countback with 33 points in second, third and fourth.

Division Two Winner Brett Wilson scored 34 points to win by four points from Andy Yates in second. Three twos were recorded.

A two-man scramble was on the menu for the Seniors on Tuesday (November 12) where Mike Partridge and Martin Drew scored a nett 63 to win by a stroke from four pairs split on countback in second, third, fourth and fifth.

In order, they were Jim Oliver and Barry Carhart, Michael Taylor and Steve Sloggett, Keith Morris and Peter Talking and Dave Parsall and Peter Setchell.

The Winter League for the men took place the next day and took the form on a strokeplay competition with Peter Setchell scoring the best gross and nett scores of 75 and 68 to win by two strokes from Mike Hackett in second place.

A stroke back, Ian Smith and Steve Arthur were tied on countback for third and fourth.

A further stroke behind, Peter Bradbury and Alan Plaice were also locked together in fifth and sixth.

For the second straight week no twos were recorded so a mounting kitty was carried forward.

Wednesday also brought the ladies out to play in what was the first competition for new captain Jackie Oliver.

She managed a second place with 25 points, behind winner Teresa Phillips who scored 30, but had the bonus of the only two of the day.

Third place went to Roma Cook with 24.

St Austell Golf Club by Sue Pascoe

Lady Vets Individual Stableford – Monday, November 11

Results: 1 Chris Byron – 26pts; 2 Jenny Ralph – 22pts (c/b); 3 Josie Mather – 22pts.

Seniors’ Pairs Better Ball Stableford – Tuesday, November 12

Results: 1 Andy Rogers and Adrian Armstrong – 42pts; 2 Dave Radnor and James Turner – 41pts; 3 Geoff Cox and Tony Morgan – 40pts (c/b).

Ladies’ Team of Four – Texas Scramble – Thursday, November 14

Results: 1 Sandra Phillips, Linda Clark, Jean-Anne Evers and Simone Kennett – 64 (c/b); 2 Kate Burford, Annie Lund, Chris Byron and Wendy Belcher – 64; 3 Chris Brown, Anne Brook, Gill Dinnis and Lenise Blom – 67.

Men’s Better Ball Stableford – Saturday, November 16

Results: 1 Darren Rebers and Clyde Rickson – 46pts (c/b); 2 Simon Harper and Gary Hooper – 46pts; 3 Shaun Harvey and Stuart Lobb – 45pts (c/b).

Ladies’ Weekend Stableford – Saturday, November 16

Results: 1 Debra Gristwood – 28pts; 2 Yvette Gamble – 24pts.

Mixed Greensomes Stableford – Sunday, November 17

Results: 1 Chris and Alison Granger – 42pts; 2 Frank Giles and Chris Byron – 38pts; 3 Lloyd and Mary Richards – 37pts.