Shropshire announce pre-season friendly
Shropshire’s cricketers will prepare for the new National Counties Cricket Association campaign by playing a pre-season friendly against a Worcestershire Academy XI next month.
The 40 overs per side match will take place at Allscott Heath Cricket Club on Sunday, April 13, starting at noon, with spectators welcome to enjoy the action.
This will be the first time that Shropshire’s first team have played a match at the impressive ground of the Shropshire County Cricket League premier division club.
The game will be a key part of Shropshire’s preparations for the new NCCA season, which starts with a trip to Eastnor to face Herefordshire in the NCCA Trophy on Sunday, April 27.
Ed Home, Shropshire’s head of cricket, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be going to Allscott Heath for the first time with the senior Shropshire team.
“Allscott are a very well-run club with a strong group of volunteers.
“Following the impressive renovation and re-development of the clubhouse and its facilities, we are looking forward to going there and reacquainting ourselves with some old friends and also some new ones too.”
Encouraged by how Shropshire’s pre-season net sessions are going at Shrewsbury School’s Indoor Cricket Centre, Home added: “It will be great for the players to get out on grass to play a match before our programme of NCCA fixtures start.
“Last year when it was incredibly wet everywhere else, Allscott were still managing to get games on, which would suggest that their ground drains extremely well, so hopefully we will be able to play a full match.”
Home added playing Worcestershire’s Academy team will provide Shropshire with a tough test.
He is pleased that the first-class county has agreed to send their promising youngsters to the county to provide the opposition.
“There’s a strong link between Worcestershire and Shropshire,” he said. “A number of players have come through Worcestershire’s satellite academy in Shropshire, while others have also progressed through the Shropshire pathway and gone on to play first-team cricket for Worcestershire.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Worcestershire’s Academy players to Allscott Heath for what will be a good fixture for both teams.”
