"We spoke to [coach] Lincoln Doull and he spoke with [HB Cricket CEO] Paul Anderson who allowed us to have our players back but it looks like the umpires didn't get the message," Lewis said, adding the game was started at 11.40am instead of the midday time they had informally agreed on.
Patton, however, felt the Bay reps arriving a few overs into the game didn't penalise CHB as such or would have altered the result significantly.
Cornwall posted an imposing 300-3 in 50 overs with No3 Michael Taiaroa 98 not out and No4 Patton scoring 74.
Openers Jacob Smith and left-hander Jayden Waters provided the platform with 64 and 38, respectively.
"We're a bit disappointed we leaked too many runs throughout the game," CHB skipper Daniel Drepaul said, adding Cornwall established solid partnerships while they let it slip.
"When you've got quality batsmen than it makes a hell of a difference," Drepaul said but happy with his troops' run chase that fizzled out at 239 with three overs to spare.
No3 James Mackie made 69 runs while No 6 Drepaul contributed 48 and opener Stephen Pimm made 33.
Cornwall's Jackett took 2-51, spinner Jonathon Hall 3-33, Smith 2-46 and Patton 2-27 to stifle CHB.
"We got our bonus point by one run. Our fielding wasn't the best but we'll work on that this week," Patton said.
Napier Old Boys' Marist (NOBM) kept their top ranking and status quo above Cornwall with a bonus-point victory over Craft and Hern Sports Havelock North but play the Hastings club this Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash.
In the 117-run win, NOBM amassed 288-8 in 50 overs with Sri Lankan opener Indika Senarathne scoring 112 runs and skipper Todd Astill 52.
A dejected Havelock North skipper Jared Priest lamented the villagers' "atrocious" bowling and fielding effort saying none of the bowlers were worthy of a mention.
"Ben Fair fielded magnificently, cutting off boundaries otherwise we'd be chasing around 400," Priest said, claiming they pulled NOBM back a little in the last 20 overs.
The wheels came off CHB's chase at 117 with eight overs to spare.
Lindisfarne College pupil Dominic Thompson scored 41 runs at No5 with little support.
"Our top five were back in the hut at the first drinks break [17 overs]," Priest said.
Astill said NOBM batted sensibly.
"Anything half pitched up found the boundary," he said but felt they lost their way a little during the compulsory power play.
"We were only two down so we tried to chance our arm a little and it didn't come off but a few players came in to steady the ship."
NOBM's spinners did the damage with Sherwin Pillay taking 2-24 from 10 overs, Parvan Kaushik claiming 2-28 from eight overs while Senarathne was wicket-less but frugal with none for 30 from seven overs.
Medium pacer Casey Rangi took 2-30 off seven overs.
Defending champions Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) keep their third spot after sneaking home with a 20-run victory over Taradale CC.
NTOB amassed 216-8 in 50 overs with opener Matt Edmondson, back from the CD U18 tourney last month, top scoring with 54 while skipper Craig Herrick backed up with an unbeaten 52 at No 6.
Taradale's Paul Gee took 3-53 off eight overs while teenagers Stan Mair (1-21 off 6, including two maidens) and Ben Stoyanoff (0-36 off nine) were frugal. Mike Harris was outstanding with 2-20 from 10, including a maiden.
In the run chase, Taradale No3 Baden Wilton (48 and No 4 Luke Kenworthy (42) provided some resistance but Herrick mopped the tail up with 4-35 from 8.4 overs, including a maiden.
"We were staring down the barrel a bit but we fought well and went through the tail pretty quickly," Herrick said, hoping to have Bay reps Morten Freer and Bronson Meehan back against Havelock this Saturday.
There's a good chance allrounder Stevie Smidt, with the Central Districts Stags for the Ford Trophy play-off yesterday, will be released, too.
Taradale will also have seamer Driaan Lubbe, vice-captain James de Terte, spinner Harshil Pandya and captain Luke Wright back now that the Bay senior men's Hawke Cup campaign is over.
The final elimination Hawke Cup match at between Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay and Wanganui was abandoned yesterday morning with the umpires calling the game off at Victoria Park because of persistent drizzle from Saturday despite fine weather forecast for the region.