Shropshire Ladies clinch shot at county championship

A 12-shot home and away victory over Yorkshire earned a final shot against Warwick & Worcester next month – and was perfect revenge for the humbling 76 chalk defeat to the White Rose county in last year’s final.

Back four wins at the new home venue of Shifnal by Hollie Bishton (21-8) and Cheryl Caswell (21-9) were vital to secure a one shot success there on Sunday afternoon.

But it was up at Golcar Liberal Club in Huddersfield where the Shropshire women really shone as they stunned the hosts with three winners in the first four.

That was the platform for them to lead all game, with Tracy Bound’s fine 21-7 card at No. 9 the icing on the cake as they finished with an amazing eight winners out of 12 against the reigning champions.

“Fantastic, stupendous, terrific and, oh yes, congratulations to our Shropshire Ladies for winning their semi-final,” said president Pauline Wilson. “They won home and away (aggregate totals 444-432) so what more can you ask! I’m so proud of them all – it was wonderful result.”

County stalwart Sonya Lucas, with over 100 caps to her name, echoed those sentiments as she said: “Amazing achievement, so proud of these girls.”

Yorkshire were 19 shots ahead at Shifnal until Bishton and Caswell turned the tide, while Jamie Phillips (21-14), Jane Archer (21-18) and Jen Rogers (21-19) were the first four stars away . Casey Starling (21-14), Shavorne Osborne and Wendy Jones delivered three more wins in the middle before Bound and Emily Cunningham won at the back to get the job done in Huddersfield.

Such a great win surely helps to put to bed all the selection issues that have seen the likes of Angela Gaut, Helen Clee, Sally King and Wilson not playing – and September’s final can’t come soon enough now.