Captain Charlie Home felt Shropshire “played a lot of good cricket over the three days” as the county’s NCCA Cluberly Championship match against Cheshire ended in a draw.
Helped by a seven-wicket haul from the in-form Roman Walker in Cheshire’s first innings, Shropshire started brightly at Nantwich.
Fortunes then ebbed and flowed throughout before the points were eventually shared, with Shropshire emerging with 10 points to Cheshire’s nine.
Reflecting on the match, Home said: “I think having lost the toss and been asked to bowl, Roman Walker in particular and the rest of the bowling attack, did brilliantly to restrict Cheshire to 222 on what was a quick-scoring ground, so that was a fantastic effort to start things off with.
“To end the first day 90-2, we were firmly in the driving seat, but there were a couple of key moments in the game. We lost four reasonably quick wickets on the morning of the second day and only managed to get 50 in front.
“After then taking another three quick early wickets when we bowled for a second time to again get ourselves into a great position in the game, Cheshire had a great partnership.
“We had a couple of half chances that sadly didn’t stick and go our way, and that turned the game around and made it more and more difficult for us to get a win.
“But we played a lot of good cricket over the three days. It was just a shame that a couple of periods in the game meant we couldn’t get a win.”
Home added: “Cheshire are always a very difficult side to play. Having lost the first three-day game against Cornwall and then won against Wales, I think we did need a win in this game to be able to get promoted.
“But to have had some very good passages of play during the game is encouraging. Cheshire are a quality side with some very good cricketers. Having probably not got the total they wanted in the first innings, they weren’t going to make it easy for us.”
Cheshire elected to bat on the opening morning and encountered an inspired Walker as he took five wickets before lunch to reduce them to 67-6.
That became 76-7 shortly afterwards before captain David Wainwright (54), a former Shropshire player, led a revival by putting on 88 for the eighth wicket with Dan Wilson (57no). Jack Collett also chipped in with 30 down the order as Cheshire were eventually bowled out for 222.
Roman showed his class again
Walker, the former Glamorgan and Leicestershire all-rounder, ended with an impressive 7-41 from 20 overs, just a week after taking 8-44 in the first innings of Shropshire’s victory against Wales at Bridgnorth.
Home said: “Roman showed his class again and the reason why he has played professional cricket.”
Shropshire, in reply, closed day one on 90-2, helped by an opening stand of 61 between Finn Jones (66) and Harry Chandler (25).
Cheshire hit back with the ball the following morning, but Shropshire managed to establish a first innings lead of 50 by accumulating 272.
Wicketkeeper Ben Lees, who top scored along with with Jones, hit an unbeaten 66, his highest score for Shropshire. Shifnal’s Lees shared useful partnerships with Seb Scott (38) and Walker (41), with Collett claiming 3-65 for the hosts.
Cheshire were in early trouble at 21-3 when they batted for a second time, with George McCormick, who plays his club cricket in Cheshire for Bowdon, taking all three wickets to fall.
A fine stand of 179 for the fourth wicket followed between Henry Dobson and Liam Clorley, which was eventually ended early on the final day when McCormick (4-67) trapped Dobson lbw for 91. Clorley was closing in on three figures until Jones and Lees combined to run him out for 99.
Luke McCoy (74no) and Kevin Carroll (37) helped push the Cheshire total up to 360-7 before the declaration arrived just after lunch to leave Shropshire requiring 311 runs from a minimum of 41 overs, plus the final hour.
Contributions from Scott (41no), Chandler (39), Will Tarrant (37no) and Tom Fell (20) saw Shropshire to 146-3 before the players shook hands on a draw just after 5pm.
The result leaves Shropshire second in the Western Division Two table ahead of their final Championship match against Dorset, which will start at Whitchurch on Sunday, August 16.
Before that, Shropshire face a long trip on Sunday to Sprowston Cricket Club, just outside Norwich, to play in the Super 12s stage of the NCCA Twenty20 competition.
Shropshire will face Bedfordshire in the day’s opening game at 11am, with the winners of the match then facing hosts Norfolk later in the day.
Pictured: Shropshire’s Roman Walker celebrates taking one of his seven wickets during Cheshire’s first innings at Nantwich.