Shropshire struggle with the bat on a testing day
Shropshire have their backs to the wall after a disappointing opening day of their NCCA Championship match against Herefordshire.
The hosts lead by 37 runs after day one of the three-day game at Eastnor and they still have five first innings wickets remaining leaving Charlie Home’s side with it all day in the remaining two days of the clash.
Shropshire came into the day after back-to-back wins against Wiltshire and Wales and knew if they picked up more points than Herefordshire they would be promoted out of Western Division Two.
There was one change to the side that beat Wales last week with Simon Gregory coming in for Ollie Westbury – which meant Shrewsbury batter Peter Clark went up to open the batting.
Shropshire lost the toss and were put into bat by Matt Pardoe at Eastnor but made a promising start as Clark and George Hargrave put on 45 without loss for the first wicket. When Clark was caught at slip off the bowling of James Rudge it sparked a huge collapse within the Shropshire batting ranks falling from 45-0 to 74-7.
Andre Bradford, Charlie Home and Ollie Currill all made ducks, while Tom Fell (8) and Ben Lees (1) made single-figure scores. Hargrave made 42 but it was the 60 made by Gregory that allowed Shropshire to get up to a semi-respectable score as they crawled to 178 all out in 53.3 overs.
For the hosts, Ollie Walker claimed 3-39 and Chris Steele 3-65.
The visitors needed wickets from the off to get back into the game but the opposite happened Hereford made their way to 97 without loss for the first wicket.
Ben Roberts, who took six wickets last week at Bridgnorth, was the man to eventually make the breakthrough.
He trapped Ben Chapman-Lilley in front LBW for 51 before getting skipper Pardoe (45) caught a second slip by Joe Stanley.
Worcestershire’s Henry Cullen also passed 50 for the hosts before he was caught at fine leg off the bowling of Currill.
More late wickets followed as Home dismissed Taylor Cornall for 26 before the dangerous Walker was trapped in front by Joe Stanley for 20.
Hereford ended the 215-5 leading by 37 runs on first innings.
Day two of the clash gets under way at 11am today.
