Shropshire v Cornwall Championship (2)

Durant Counties Championship Western  Division 2  Table       Scorecard

Bridgnorth - Shropshire 316 (O Westbury 85; EAF Whiteford 4-84, WA MacVicar 3-50) & 258 (G Hargrave 77, T Maxfield 35, A Bradford 33, P Clark 31; TG Sturgess 4-54, EAF Whiteford 3-49),

Cornwall 427 (WA MacVicar 116, AJ Blake 73, PS Smith 66; P Clark 4-111, S Whitney 3-94) & 148-5 (WA MacVicar 39, TG Sturgess 36no; S Ellis 3-56).

Cornwall (24) beat Shropshire (7) by five wickets with seven balls to spare.

 

Debut: Fateh Singh Lamba - Replacement Substitute for Alex Blake. Substitute Player allowed under NCCA Playing Regulation 24. 

Alex Blake was called up on Monday morning for Kent's LV Championship game against Notts at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. https://shorturl.at/azJ67 

NCCA allow in exceptional circumstances a sub-player, providing he is registered.

24.3 A substitute shall be allowed by right immediately in the event of a dually registered cricketer currently playing in a NCCA County Championship match being required to join a First Class team. Such substitute shall be permitted to bat and bowl in that match. The cricketer who is substituted shall take no further part in that match even though he may not be required to play for the First Class county. If he is batting at the time he is required to leave the match, he shall retire “not out” and his substitute shall be permitted to bat later in that innings.

 

Day 1  Shropshire won the toss and elected to bat

Lunch 13:20- Shropshire 123-1 (36) Westbury 54no, Fell 53no.

Tea 16:18 Shropshire 232-6 (72.2) Maxfield 18no

Inns Closed 17:45  Shropshire 316

Close 19:05  Cornwall 58-0 (17) (Hodgson 29no, MacDonald 24no)

 

Day 2

Delayed start to 13:00 following heavy overnight rain.

Tea 16:00 Cornwall 252-4 (59) MacVicar 27no, Smith 30no

Inns Closed 17:58 Cornwall 427 ao

Close 19:30 Shropshire 72-2 (19) Hargrave 31no, Ellis 2no

 

Paul Bolton's NCCA Report

Alex Blake limbered up for his surprise recall to Kent’s LV=County Championship squad by helping Cornwall take control of their Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Western Division Two match against Shropshire at Bridgnorth. 

Blake’s day began with a phone call from Kent head coach Matt Walker to check on his availability for the County Championship match against Nottinghamshire which starts at Trent Bridge today to help bolster an injury-ravaged squad. 

The call was unexpected as Blake’s last first-class appearance came four years ago, he is on a white ball-only contract and he had travelled to the Midlands without any of his Kent red ball kit. 

Having quickly renegotiated the terms of his contract and arranged for his Kent whites to be transported to Nottingham, left-hander Blake followed his century for Cornwall against Dorset two weeks ago with an attacking 73 before he departed for Trent Bridge at tea time. 

Cornwall were given dispensation to bring in a substitute for the final day of the match and registered Nottinghamshire and England Under-19 all-rounder Fateh Singh to replace Blake. 

Having dashed from Nottingham, slow left-armer Singh struck with his first ball in National Counties cricket when he had former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell LBW just before the close. 

Blake’s entertaining 76-ball innings, which included four sixes and six fours, helped Cornwall to 427 all out and a lead of 111. 

But he was eclipsed by his good friend Will MacVicar who plundered 116 – his maiden century – from 139 balls as Cornwall accelerated either side of tea. 

MacVicar added 127 for the fifth wicket with his captain Paul Smith (66) and although slow left-armer Peter Clark and leg-spinner Sam Whitney took seven wickets between them they came at the cost of 205 runs. 

Earlier seamers Ben Roberts and Sam Ellis had caused problems after a delayed start following heavy overnight rain had seeped under the covers.

 

Day 3

Lunch 12:50 Shropshire 200-5 (60) Bradford 33no, Maxfield 5no

Delayed start  after lunch to 14:42 due to rain with over an hour lost.

Inns Closed 15:52    Shropshire 258 all out (77.4)

Tea 16:00  Cornwall 3-1 (1) Target 148

Play restarted after another shower at 17:00

Cornwall require 145 with nine wickets left in 30 mins plus min of 17 overs in the last hour from 5.30pm

Final hour began  with Cornwall 39-1 (7)

109  required off 17

92 off 13 - 56-2

75 off 11

66 off 9 -82-3

50 off 7  -98-4

34 off 5 - 114-5

30 off 4 -118-5

16 off 3 - 132-5

10 off 2 - 138-5

0-2-6-0-1 

18:38  Cornwall 148-5 from 22.5 overs to win with 7 balls remaining

 

NCCA Report

Cornwall became the first Western Division side to win this season, beating Shropshire by five wickets at Bridgnorth in Division Two. 

Having committed themselves to bowling out Shropshire for a second time, Cornwall were frustrated by a half-century from Oxford University opener George Hargrave (77) then by stubborn cameos from Andre Bradford, Peter Clark and Tim Maxfield. 

At 200 for five Shropshire appeared to be battling their way towards safety but they lost their last three wickets without addition in seven balls and were dismissed for 258. 

Seamer Tommy Sturgess (four for 54) and off-spinner Ellis Whiteford (three for 49) were the men who did the damage which left Cornwall a target of 148. 

Sturgess then played a decisive role with the bat, striking 36 not out from just 17 balls with three sixes, to see Cornwall to their target inside 23 overs. 

Will MacVicar followed up his first innings century with a quickfire 39 from 31 balls – also with three sixes – to help Cornwall to a maximum points win. 

 

Cornwall finally laid to rest a 40-year hoodoo when they beat Shropshire at Bridgnorth in the NCCA County Championship, by five wickets with seven balls to spare. It was a first-ever success at Cricket Meadow at the ninth attempt and the only the second win in a 2 or 3-day game on Shropshire soil since Team Manager Godfrey’s Furse’s debut game in 1985, when he hit the winning runs. Former Cornwall batter Ollie Westbury hit a century for Shropshire in their 316. Cornwall replied with their eighth-highest score of 427 with professionals Will MacVicar (116) and Alex Blake (73) leading the way. Mid-game Blake was called up to play for Kent at Trent Bridge in the LV County Championship and under the NCCA playing conditions a substitute player was hastily registered and allowed to bat and bowl. Fateh Singh, a Notts Academy England Under 19, duly dashed to the ground and took a wicket with his first ball. Shropshire were dismissed for 258 with Ellis Whiteford taking seven wickets in the match. Cornwall were left 148 to win but in only 24 overs due to a couple of rain delays. In a tense finish, Tommy Sturgess hit 36 not out off 17 balls to secure a famous win.