Other results eliminate Shropshire from Trophy
Shropshire bowed out of the NCAA Trophy at the group stage despite a six-wicket win at Staffordshire.
Needing a victory to stand any chance of progressing, Shropshire got the result they needed inspired by Sam Ellis’ superb five-wicket haul and an excellent 82 from opener Ollie Westbury.
But Suffolk’s dramatic three-run win over Herefordshire condemned them to a third-place finish in group two.
Both teams went into the contest at Moddershall and Oulton with their hopes alive and it was Shropshire who grabbed the upper hand early, with Ellis dismissing opener Zen Malik and then home skipper James Kettleborough for a golden duck after the latter had won the toss and opted to bat.
With Staffs struggling at 86-4, Callum Hawkins and Matt Morris responded with an 87-run fifth-wicket partnership which left them nicely placed heading into the final overs.
But when Morris fell for 35, caught by Joe Stanley off the bowling of Lewis Evans, it triggered a collapse which disrupted the home side’s momentum.
Hawkins became the third and final catch for Tom Fell as he fell one run shy of his century on 99. Ellis then dismissed Sam Atkinson and Liam Hurt to finish with figures of 5-49 from his 10 overs.
Westbury and George Hargrave then got Shropshire off to a strong start as they put on 78 for the opening stand before the latter was dismissed for 32.
That brought Fell to the crease and he simply picked up where his predecessor had left off, adding 103 with Westbury for the second wicket to break the back of the chase.
Both then fell within eight balls of each other and when Jacques Banton departed for just 16 to leave Shropshire 200-4, Staffs had the merest glimmer of hope.
It was quickly dispelled as Oliver Currell (18 not out) and Andre Bradford (16 not out) saw the visitors over the line with more than five overs to spare.
From there it was a case of checking on Suffolk’s progress but the outcome was agonisingly unfavourable.
Needing just four runs to secure a victory which would have sent Shropshire through to the knockout stages but with only one wicket remaining in the chase, Herefordshire’s Sam Keeling-Wright went for glory but was caught in the deep as Suffolk squeezed through by the barest of margins.
