Shropshire head north hoping to beat the weather

The two games in the north east will be Shropshire’s final Group One matches of a T20 campaign severely hit by the wet weather.

Home clashes against Cheshire and Cumbria were called off without a ball bowled, while in between the county’s opening T20 match against Staffordshire at Leek last Sunday was also interrupted by rain.

After the opening match was abandoned, the day’s second game, won by the hosts by 68 runs, was reduced to a 10 overs per side contest.

Results elsewhere in the group mean that Shropshire are no longer able to qualify for T20 finals day later this month.

Head of cricket Ed Home just hopes the weather improves to give Shropshire the opportunity to play this weekend.

He said: “We’re looking forward to actually playing a full game of cricket and seeing everyone perform after this truncated stop-start opening to the season.

“It’s been frustrating, but we can’t control the weather.”

Shifnal all-rounder Theo Wylie, 17, has been called up to the Shropshire squad for the first time. “Theo is on the Warwickshire CCC high performance programme,” said Home. “He bowls left-arm spin and is a hard-hitting batter.” From the squad selected for Monday’s abandoned fixture against Cumbria, Worcestershire seamer Mitchell Stanley and top order batter Ollie Westbury are unavailable, while opener George Hargrave is also ruled out.

Home added: “George has tweaked a hamstring, so Twenty20 isn’t really where you want to be testing a hamstring.”

Off-spinning all-rounder Shaun Lorimer, unavailable for the bank holiday weekend matches, returns to the squad.

Sunday’s two T20 games will start at 11am and 2.30pm.

Squad: Charlie Home (Shifnal, captain), Andre Bradford (Swarkestone), Theo Wylie (Shifnal), Tom Fell (Wolverhampton), Jack Home (Shifnal), Lewis Evans (Shrewsbury), Ben Lees (Shifnal), Dan Lloyd (Wellington), Andy Sutton (Barnt Green), Ben Roberts (Shifnal), Shaun Lorimer (Shifnal), Sam Ellis (Wolverhampton).

Pictured: Shaun Lorimer returns to the Shropshire squad for Sunday’s T20 double-header against Northumberland.