Shropshire continued their encouraging start to the season by getting the better of NCCA Trophy holders Norfolk by seven runs in an exciting match at Shrewsbury’s London Road ground.
Having opened the campaign with a six-wicket victory over Herefordshire at Eastnor a week earlier, Charlie Home’s side produced another impressive performance.
Staffordshire will provide the opposition for the county’s next game in the 50-over competition – the third of four group fixtures – at Shifnal on Sunday.
Andre Bradford top-scored with 69 as Shropshire, asked to bat first by Norfolk skipper Sam Arthurton, totalled 262-6 from their 50 overs.
It proved just enough as Norfolk were bowled out for 255, with Ben Roberts taking three wickets from the final four balls of the match to seal victory.
“It was a fantastic game of cricket,” said Ed Home, Shropshire’s head of cricket. “We put together some really good partnerships and accelerated at the end.
“Cameron Jones, Lewis Evans and Jack Home gave us impetus batting at the end to get up to a competitive total after everybody chipped in all the way through.
“We know what a good batter Sam Arthurton is for Norfolk and he carried on where he left off last year against us, but this time we were fortunate to get him out before he had really got established.
“We stuck to the task and bowled to plans, and I think we deserved to win.
“Ben Roberts took three wickets in the final over, all being good catches in the deep, so I was pleased for Ben, and all our bowlers bowled well.
“Cameron did very well again, removing one of their top order batters and also bowling their top scorer towards the end of the match.
Further boost the total
“It was nice to see a good crowd there and Shrewsbury did a fantastic job as hosts. We are very lucky to be able to play at such a nice ground.”
Opener Bradford laid solid foundations to the Shropshire innings by making 69. He put on 77 for the first wicket with George Hargrave (41) and then 66 for the second wicket with Tom Fell (44).
Worcestershire and England under-19 all-rounder Jack Home struck an unbeaten 31 on his return to the Shropshire side, with Jones hitting 29 not out from just 12 balls, with three sixes and a four, to further boost the total.
Former Derbyshire and Kent off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri took 2-45 and Ethan Metcalf (2-59) was also among the wickets for Norfolk.
The visitors, in reply, made an assured start to their chase, with openers Arthurton – who struck an unbeaten 180 against Shropshire last year – and Finlay Wilcox putting on 75.
The breakthrough Shropshire wanted arrived in the 17th over when off-spinner Joe Stanley (2-29) trapped Arthurton lbw for 42.
Jones then bowled Wilcox for 34 and he later also bowled Alfie Cooper, Norfolk’s top scorer with 55, the seventh wicket to fall, as he claimed 2-34 from 10 lively overs.
Ethan Metcalf (39), Charlie Hood (33) and Arthur Wilcox (20) also weighed in for Norfolk, who went into the final over on 246-7, requiring 17 to win.
Arthur Wilcox struck the first two balls for four, but then Shifnal seamer Roberts took three wickets to leave Norfolk 255 all out as he ended with figures of 4-53.
Pictured: Shrewsbury’s London Road ground was the venue for Shropshire’s exciting victory over Norfolk in the NCCA Trophy.