Shropshire facing a fight after Omar Ali's ton
Shropshire were facing an uphill task as they entered the final day of their Unicorns Championship match with Herefordshire.
A second-wicket stand of 190 between Peter Burgoyne and Chris Whittock helped the visitors to 226-2 in their second innings – a lead of 251.
Whittock fell for 96 shortly before the close but Burgoyne remains unbeaten on 103 on a flat wicket at Whitchurch’s Heath Road ground.
The fact Herefordshire were able to secure a first-innings lead came as a result of a batting collapse which saw the home side lose their last eight wickets for just 61 runs.
Omar Ali had hit a Championship personal best of 141 to give his side a chance of going past Herefordshire’s first-innings total of 392.
But Burgoyne showed he was just as dangerous with the ball as he finished with 3-94 as the hosts were dismissed for 367 with five overs of their maximum 90 still to go.
Shropshire skipper Steve Leach said: “We played a few loose shots and had a bit of bad luck, although that’s no excuse.
“We should have batted our 90 overs and been at least level with their score. We know we should have got a few more but we’ve scored 360-odd so I don’t want to paint too much of a negative picture.”
After safely negotiating 22 overs on Sunday night, Shropshire resumed on 75-0 and continued to pile on the runs.
The opening partnership of Leach and Ali reached 215 before a change of bowling made the breakthrough when skipper Leach was trapped lbw by Thomas Hage from the first ball of his spell.
Ali had already reached his century off 157 balls and Will Parton came in and picked up the baton to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Ali’s terrific innings, which included 17 fours and five sixes, came to an end just before lunch when he was stumped by Ian Bullock off the bowling of Matt Pardoe.
Debutant Warrick Fynn provided support to allow Parton to reach his 50 off 42 balls, but that was when the Shrewsbury man’s innings came to an end when he was trapped leg before, the first of two quick wickets for Jack Taylor.
Fynn, the leading run scorer in all divisions of the Birmingham League, was then forced to rein in his attacking style as wickets fell in quick succession at the other end.
His Oswestry team-mate Joe Carrasco departed for just three as Taylor found the edge and Whittock took an impressive catch at slip.
Jack McIver had been Shropshire’s bowling star with five wickets but made just one with Leach’s men now reduced to 315-5.
David Wainwright stayed around long enough to help push the total past 350 before he became Bullock’s second stumping victim, departing for 15.
And when Fynn’s first knock in county colours was ended just six balls later, three short of a half-century, Shropshire’s hopes of establishing a first-innings lead were all but over.
Jack Edwards was the next man to go for one when he offered Burgoyne a caught and bowled chance.
Taylor Pugh then set about cleaning up the Shropshire tailenders, first having Alex Wyatt caught for seven before trapping Dan Bowen in front for a duck to finish with three wickets himself having earlier removed Fynn.
Setting off second time around with a lead of 25, Herefordshire suffered an early blow when Pardoe got one that kept low and was trapped lbw by Edwards for nine.
But any hopes Shropshire may have had of getting back on top were quickly swept aside by Burgoyne and Whittock who moved the visitors on to 41-1 at tea.
Whittock, who had been put down earlier in his innings, eventually went four short of a ton when he fell lbw to Wyatt.
But Burgoyne was able to reach his century, which came off exactly 100 balls, to leave Shropshire staring down the barrel.
