How much do you know about Shropshire County Cricket Club?
You could win one of our special prizes.
Here’s your chance to test your knowledge of Shropshire County Cricket Club, spanning more than 60 years, and you could win one of our special prizes, including a pair of Test Match tickets for England v India at Old Trafford in September, family tickets (4) to The Hundred competition at Edgbaston, a luxury hamper of food, case of fine red and white wine, signed print of Shropshire CCC v Gloucestershire CCC, and Shropshire CCC gilet.
We have put together 50 questions and with 200 hundred runs available in total for the correct answers, you could become a double centurion. The highest scores recorded will receive one of our special prizes, so take guard and let play commence!
To enter the competition, please send your answers to Colin Barthorpe at 11 Croft Way, Farcroft Gardens, Market Drayton, TF9 3UB. You can also email your answers to Colin at colin.barthorpe@gmail.com
Please include your name and address, contact number and email address. The closing date for entries is 4pm on July 12, 2021.
The winners will be announced at Shropshire’s National Counties Cricket Association Championship match against Herefordshire at Shifnal on Sunday, July 25, 2021
Under the competition rules, no-one associated or connected with the Shropshire CCC committee is eligible to enter.
1 Shropshire played their first-ever Minor Counties home match against Staffordshire at which one of the following grounds. Was it (a) Bridgnorth, (b) Ludlow (c) Market Drayton, or (d) Shrewsbury? (four runs available)
2 Which two Shropshire cricketers appeared in Shrewsbury Town Football Club’s promotion winning team of 1958-1959? Can you also name their respective cricket club sides? (eight runs)
3 Name the captain of Shropshire’s Minor Counties championship winning side in 1973? (two runs)
4 Which Shropshire cricketer played for the opposition on his home ground in a county match between 1968 and 1972? (six runs). If you have spotted the googly, state the player’s connection to one of your answers in question 2 (two runs)
5 Name the former Shropshire captain who appeared in football’s 1973 European Cup Winners’ Cup. (two runs)
6 Which former Somerset and Shropshire batsman captained Cornwall at the age of 50? (four runs)
7 Name the Shropshire and Warwickshire President who commanded the British 8th Army in Italy in 1944? (two runs)
8 How many Shropshire CCC players appeared in the Shrewsbury Cricket Club team during the successful run they enjoyed in winning the National Club Championship in 1983? Was it (a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 8 or (d) 9 (three runs)
9 Name the two Shropshire cricketers who also represented the county at hockey and rugby. (six runs)
10 How many Shropshire grounds have hosted Championship matches since 1957? Is it (a) 10 (b) 12 (c) 14 or (d) 15. (two runs)
11 Fifteen international cricketers representing nine different countries have appeared for Shropshire since 1957 in either Championship or one-day matches. Which player has won the most Test caps? (four runs)
12 Name the former Shropshire batsman who was national point-to-point champion in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2011. (two runs)
13 Shropshire beat Yorkshire by 37 runs in the Gillette Cup in 1976. True or false? (two runs)
14 On which ground did Shropshire play its first ever Gillette Cup match? (two runs)
15 How many sets of brothers have played for Shropshire since 1957? Is it (a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 7 or (d) 8. (two runs). For overthrows to be added to your total, can you name four sets of brothers? (four runs)
16 (a) John Foster is Shropshire’s longest-serving captain. True or false? (two runs)
(b) Bryan Jones is Shropshire’s longest-serving cricketer. True or false? (two runs)
17 Three generations from the same family have played for Shropshire since 1957. Name the family (two runs) and one player from each generation, including their respective club(s) (six runs).
18 Name three Shropshire county players who have umpired in first-class cricket. (six runs)
19 Who was Shropshire CCC’s shortest-serving captain? (three runs)
20 Which Shropshire cricketer played in the inaugural 1975 World Cup? (four runs)
21 (a) Adam Shantry can list both Shropshire and Glamorgan among the clubs he played for. Including Adam, how many cricketers have played for both Shropshire and Glamorgan over the years? Is it (a) 4 (b) 6 or (c) 7 (two runs)
(b) Which current Glamorgan all-rounder was educated and played club cricket in Shropshire? (two runs)
22 Name six fathers and sons who have played Minor Counties cricket for Shropshire. (12 runs)
23 Who is Shropshire’s youngest centurion in (a) Championship cricket (four runs) and (b) Trophy cricket? (four runs)
24 In 2019, the highest first-class score recorded by a former Shropshire CCC player was 146. Name the player. (four runs)
25 Name three of the five first-class counties Shropshire have yet to meet in List ‘A’ cricket ? (six runs)
26 A number of Shropshire cricketers have played for England at Under-19 level. Who was the most recent Shropshire player to represent England at this age group? (two runs)
27 Andy Lloyd signed for Warwickshire at the end of the 1975 season shortly after making his debut for Shropshire. He went on to play for England and captain the Bears. Which county failed to offer him terms after scoring 235 runs in three innings without being dismissed when he was on trial? (two runs)
28 Which Shropshire wicketkeeper made a record 75 consecutive appearances for the county and appeared for the full Minor Counties side against New Zealand? (two runs)
29 Steve Ogrizovic famously bowled Viv Richards off a no-ball when he played for Shropshire played Somerset in 1983. During his successful football career as a goalkeeper, he scored one goal for Coventry City. Who were the opponents? (two runs). For a free hit, which record-breaking Shropshire spin bowler did Steve share a dressing room with when playing club cricket at Coventry and North Warwickshire CC? (two runs)
30 Name three players who have represented both Shropshire and Staffordshire. (six runs)
31 Who scored an unbeaten 95 to steer Shropshire to victory in the final of the Minor Counties Knockout Trophy at Chester-le-Street in 2010? (two runs)
32 Which Shropshire batsman scored 146 for the Minor Counties representative side against the Indian tourists at Wellington in 1979? (two runs)
33 Which Shropshire cricketer won the man of the match award in the semi-final of the Benson and Hedges Cup, only to then be dropped for the final? (four runs)
34 Name two Shropshire players who have won man of the match awards in one-day finals at Lord’s. (four runs)
35 Which Shropshire club has produced the most players capped by the county? (three runs)
36 How many times have Shropshire played at Lord’s? (three runs)
37 Why was 2008 a special year for two Shropshire cricketers? (four runs)
38 Peter Bradley played in Shropshire’s first-ever Minor Counties match and went on to become one of the county’s finest seam bowlers. In 1973 he enjoyed a record breaking season, taking 67 wickets in 10 Championship games.
(a) How many maiden overs did he bowl that season? Was it (a) 93 (b) 97 (c) 105 or (d) 108. (two runs)
(b) The same year, when playing for the Minor Counties representative side, he dismissed the same West Indian Test opening batsman on three occasions. Who was the batsman? (two runs)
39 Which Shropshire and former England Lions player came on as a substitute fielder for England in the Headingley Test against West Indies in 2007? (three runs)
40 Which former Shropshire and Middlesex cricketer, playing for the Cross Arrows, scored 204 runs from 124 balls before lunch including 14 sixes? (four runs)
41 Name the Shropshire CCC official who was national technical officer at the London 2012 Olympics. (two runs)
42 Which school in the county has produced the most number of players to be capped by Shropshire? (four runs)
43 Name the Shropshire overseas professional who scored a century for Australia as a nightwatchman? (two runs)
44 Who is Shropshire’s longest-serving secretary? (two runs)
45 Joe Leach, the current Worcestershire County Cricket Club captain, was one of how many former Shropshire players to appear in the Worcestershire first team in 2015? (ten runs)
46 Dan Redfern, who played for Derbyshire and Leicestershire, made his first-class debut at the age of 17 years seven days while still a pupil at Newport’s Adams Grammar School. He is the youngest Shropshire-born player to have done so. Name the youngest non-Shropshire-born cricketer to have played first-class cricket and subsequently represented the county? (six runs)
47 What is the highest-ever score recorded by a Shropshire debutant? (four runs)
48 Who holds the record for Shropshire’s fastest-ever 50? (three runs)
49 There are two Ashes winning cricketers who have worn Shropshire colours. True or false? (four runs)
50 A Shropshire river and local monarch! (5) (four runs)
Good luck – and please remember, the closing date for entries is 4pm on July 12, 2021.