WHETHER it be the London Olympics, the Ryder Cup or England winning a Test series in India the sporting memories of 2012 will long be remembered.
Just for good measure the Cornish cricket year also came to the party – and in some style.
In July the weather gods relented to allow England Women to beat India in the first one-day international ever to be played in Cornwall.
It was followed, also at Truro's Boscawen Park, by an "I was there" moment on a mid-September morning, as the County Club won the Minor Counties Championship for the first time.
Attritional
It ended a long wait that began way back in 1904.
After three attritional days Buckinghamshire collapsed dramatically on the fourth morning to leave Tom Sharp's men champions by 150 runs. Sharp, and co-spinner Shakil Ahmed, ultimately won the match with the ball but how crucial were the runs scored by the middle order of Chris Hunkin, Neil Curnow and Tom Hughes.
What made the title win even more satisfying was that the key performers throughout the year had relatively quiet games.
Matt Robins, Jake Libby, Sam Hockin and Taylor Williams all had excellent seasons and with youth on their side the future bodes well.
Earlier in the year the MCCA Trophy got off to a soggy start thanks to a very wet April.
The opening game against Oxfordshire at St Austell was abandoned before the scheduled 11am start.
A week later the trip to North Devon was aborted as early as the evening before.
However wins against Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire were enough to top the group, a rare occurrence in recent times.
Cumberland made the long trip south for the quarter final and ran out worthy winners by 119 runs at Truro.
Strangely the draw for next year's competition could potentially see a repeat quarter-final clash.
The wettest summer for a hundred years had, unsurprisingly, a detrimental effect on the championship.
The Herefordshire and Devon games were ruined but the Cheshire hoodoo was well and truly ended with a second successive win. The weather then played a key role in two games.
The clash with Wiltshire at Falmouth saw play on the final day, when across the country all the other Western Division games were abandoned by lunchtime. Cornwall took full advantage to clinch a dramatic victory with an hour to spare.
Then at Oxfordshire the county were on the brink of defeat at tea on the final day. A combination of some timely rain, and last pair Rob Harrison and Sam Hockin surviving eight vital overs, secured what proved to be a most crucial draw.
Victory in the final round of games, at Abergavenny inside two days, meant a nervy wait before the title was confirmed thanks to Oxfordshire's five wicket win over Wiltshire.
The ECB Cornwall Premier League also had first time winners in 2012.
Relegation
Werrington have come close in recent years and they finally got over the line, on a tense final afternoon at Camborne.
On the same day, further west, Troon suffered relegation when Paul just did enough in their final day shoot out.
In County Division One Redruth dominated the season and were worthy champions. As a result, top flight cricket returns to Trewirgie for the first time since 1989.
It will also be a big year for neighbours Stithians who won a third promotion in succession to earn the right to taste countywide cricket for the first time.
Menheniot Looe join them from the east with Luckett and St Austell seconds, after one season, dropping down to divisional cricket.
In the cups last season Werrington took the Premier League 50/50 title when they successfully chased down St Just's 204 to win the final by seven wickets at Camborne.
Gorran giant killed their way to win the Clive Rosevear Hawkey Cup, while it was business as usual in the west with St Just winning a ninth successive Vinter Cup.
They went on to retain the Edwards Cup but went out in the National Club t20 area finals in South Wales.
The 2013 season is due to get under way on April 20 with the first round of games in the Premier League Cup.
The rest of the league commences a week later. One of the highlights of the summer will be the Cornish Cricket Festival with details already announced that the Netherlands will host Nottinghamshire at Truro in a CB40 group game on June 19.
