Kent to face Lancashire in Bill Beaumont County Championship, Division 1 South Final at Twickenham after 34-31 win over Cornwall

By Graham Cox

Medway’s Alfie Orris was among the try scorers as Kent beat hosts Cornwall 34-31 to reach the Final of the Bill Beaumont Division 1 South County Championship Cup.

Orris scored Kent’s third of four tries at Camborne Recreation Ground as the lead changed hands no fewer than five times. Only in the 72nd minute, when Blackheath centre Jake Hennessey crossed for Kent’s fourth try, did the points margin move beyond a converted score.

Even then, a late try from Redruth open-side Sam Stevens meant a desperate final play, which eventually came to a halt as the Cornishmen conceded a penalty and, with Canterbury’s Frank Reynolds hoofing the ball to touch, Kent could begin revelling in anticipation of their first top tier County Championship Final appearance for 37 years. They will play Lancashire at Headquarters this Sunday (4pm).

With Camborne bathed in spring sunshine, Kent got the better start, only for the ball to be held up over the Cornwall goal-line following a Hennessey break, but as Cornwall infringed under the posts, Sam Evans, who struck 14 points in a faultless kicking display, took the quick-tap to send Toby Wallace over for an early lead.

However, defensive errors put the visitors under pressure and, following three points from Redruth’s Fraser Honey, a stumble in the in-goal allowed Cornwall scrum-half Mike Austin to touch down loose ball to give the host county the lead.

Two Evans penalties restored the advantage for the visitors but, roared on by the partisan crowd in excess of two thousand, the Cornishmen drove impressively through the midfield before full-back Matt Shepherd was put across next to the uprights.

Again though, it was a short-lived advantage for the hosts. Kent may have been fortunate