Shropshire’s cricketers make it four wins out of four in this season’s NCCA Trophy
Captain Charlie Home hailed another “fantastic win” as Shropshire completed their NCCA Trophy group fixtures in style with victory by 36 runs at Suffolk.
Shropshire achieved their aim of securing a home quarter-final - they will host Northumberland in the last eight - by maintaining their 100 per cent record in the 50-over competition this season.
A fine opening stand of 118 between George Hargrave and Rahul Kaushal helped Shropshire, after electing to bat, post 235-9.
Cameron Jones and Jacques Banton then led the way with the ball, both taking three wickets, as Suffolk were bowled out for 199 to secure a fourth win in a row for Shropshire, the Group 2 table-toppers.
"It was a fantastic win,” said Home. "After losing to Suffolk the last couple of years, to do what we did on Sunday was very pleasing.”
On his team’s consistent form this season, Home added: “I think we’ve been playing some very good cricket the last two years and we’ve kept a similar group together. We’re now reaping the rewards for that because we’re playing well as a side.
“Confidence is sky high and we will now get a home quarter-final. That was the incentive going into the Suffolk game and we’ve managed to do that, so we couldn’t be happier.”
Shropshire enjoyed an impressive start at Mildenhall Cricket Club with Hargrave and Kaushal both in excellent touch as they put on 118 in 20.1 overs.
Shifnal opener Kaushal struck 10 fours on his way to 65 from 61 balls, with Shrewsbury’s Hargrave also hitting 10 boundaries as he made 75 from 80 deliveries.
Tom Fell then contributed 42 before Suffolk started to regularly take wickets - seven of them shared by spinners Jack Beaumont (4-43) and Darren Ironside (3-40) - as Shropshire, at one stage 168-2, closed on 235-9.
Just like with the bat, Shropshire also started well with the ball to quickly reduce the hosts to 40-3. Opener Beaumont made 45 and then Alex Oxley, batting at five, top scored with 55.
Jacob Marston (29) and Adam Jones (26) also chipped in for the home side, but Shropshire kept consistently taking wickets and Suffolk, who still progressed to the quarter-finals as Group 2 runners-up despite the result, were eventually dismissed for 199 from 45.5 overs.
Seamer Jones claimed 3-28 from eight lively overs and spinner Banton took 3-35 from 8.5 overs.
Reflecting on the match, skipper Home said: "It was firstly nice to win the toss because Suffolk are a very good side setting targets and then defending them.
“I would suggest what George and Rahul did was really the difference in the game. They went out all guns blazing and batted brilliantly. They didn’t let the bowlers settle in the power play and played some great shots.
"Rahul has certainly taken his chance. He’s enjoying it and has put in two good performances since coming into the side.
“He made 24 in a low-scoring game against Staffordshire the week before on his debut, and to do what he did on Sunday, he’s started nicely.
“With the start we had, we should have in all honesty got a few more runs, but Suffolk bowl spin well and they tightened us up in the middle of our innings. We still thought they would have to bat well to chase 235.
“Cameron Jones up top bowled with a bit of pace and bounce and got a couple of key early wickets, and from there we were on the front foot really.
“It was one of those days where every bowling change, each bowler that you brought back into the attack, got a wicket within their first one or two overs, so it worked out very well.
“Usually that doesn’t happen, but this time it seemed to, so it was a successful day.”
Shropshire take a break from their 50-over campaign to open this season's NCCA Twenty20 Cup campaign when they face Cheshire in two T20 matches at Wem Cricket Club on Sunday.
