Shropshire have eyes on a home victory

Charlie Home, the Shifnal all-rounder, captains the county at his home club ground as Shropshire look to make a positive start to their group two fixtures.

Shropshire will also host Herefordshire at Whitchurch in the 50-over competition on Sunday, June 16, either side of away matches at Norfolk and Staffordshire.

The top two teams in each of the four groups will progress to the NCCA Trophy quarter-finals.

“We have a well balanced side for Sunday,” said Shropshire’s head of cricket Ed Home. “We did well in the 50-over competition last year and I see no reason why we can’t carry on where we left off.”

Shropshire’s first game in the NCCA Trophy last season was also against Suffolk, but this time Shropshire have home advantage.

“Suffolk beat us last year,” added Home. “We didn’t probably give as good an account of ourselves as we would have liked to at Sudbury, but it’s a new day, a different game, and we enter into this fixture full of optimism.”

Shropshire were not involved in the opening round of fixtures in group two last month, with Staffordshire beating Suffolk by 116 runs and Norfolk getting the better of Herefordshire by nine wickets.

Shropshire enjoyed group victories in the NCCA Trophy over Norfolk and Cambridgeshire last year as they went close to qualifying for the quarter-finals of the competition.

A century from Tom Fell helped Shropshire hit 336-7 in their final group game at Cheshire, a new county one-day record score, but the arrival of rain early in the home side’s reply led to an abandonment.

That meant Shropshire narrowly missed out on progressing as Cheshire, the group runners-up to table-topping Suffolk, had a better net run rate.

Admission is free for spectators to attend Sunday’s match at Shifnal.

Shropshire: George Hargrave (Shrewsbury), Ollie Westbury (Himley), Tom Fell (Wolverhampton), Andre Bradford (Shifnal), Charlie Home (Shifnal, captain), Peter Clark (Shrewsbury), Ben Lees (Shifnal), Lewis Evans (Shrewsbury), Ben Roberts (Shifnal), Joe Stanley (Wolverhampton), Sam Ellis (Wolverhampton).

Dan Vaughan, the Wellington captain, will lead Shropshire’s Academy side in tomorrow's friendly against Herefordshire’s Development XI.

The 50 overs per side contest takes place at Ludlow Cricket Club (11am).

Coach Ed Ashlin said: “Dan’s a young cricketer but already has a lot of experience and has taken on the captaincy at Wellington in the Birmingham League this season.

“He’s a good player and has a mature head on his shoulders.

“We’ve got a good mix of ages in Sunday’s side with some of our pathway players from Shropshire’s under-18s team included along with some more experienced players.”

Coach Ed Ashlin said: “Dan’s a young cricketer but already has a lot of experience and has taken on the captaincy at Wellington in the Birmingham League this season.

“He’s a good player and has a mature head on his shoulders.

“We’ve got a good mix of ages in Sunday’s side with some of our pathway players from Shropshire’s under-18s team included along with some more experienced players.”

Shropshire Academy: Matt Kenvyn (Bagnall Norton), Dan Vaughan (Wellington, captain), Josh Darley (Oswestry), Seb Scott (Bridgnorth), Viv John (Shelton), Max Ferrington (Allscott), Morgan Ward (Shifnal), Charlie Walker (Wombourne), Matt Rees (Worfield), George McCormick (Chester Boughton Hall), Faheem Chohan (Wellington).