Cornwall v Shropshire - Minor Counties Championship - Match Recap
Cornwall overcame Shropshire by four wickets in a match of the Minor Counties Championship, at the Wheal Eliza, Bethel, St Austell in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, on Tuesday, July 26, 2011.
The hosts were given a challenging target of 269 runs, which they achieved comfortably in the end. They did lose a few wickets, but managed to win the game, losing six batsmen.
Earlier, Shropshire’s captain, Edward Foster, opted to bat first after winning the toss. The pitch was good for the batsmen and the visitors were eying a solid first innings total.
The team managed 355 runs before being all-out in the innings. Opening batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jonathan-David-Whitney-c69106 gave a good start to his side, collecting 57 runs at the top of the order.
However, the highlight of the innings was a sensational century from middle-order batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Richard-Kenneth-Oliver-c85165. The stylish batsman ended up with 120 runs off 160 balls, clobbering 18 fours and one six in his impressive performance.
Lower-order player http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Kenneth-Donovan-Gray-c44476 batted nicely alongside the tail-enders, collecting 45 runs. His effort guided the team’s total to 355 in the end.
The hosts’ new ball bowler, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Alexander-George-Smeeth-c43191, picked up five wickets in the innings, not allowing the opposition to get away with a significant total.
Cornwall’s start was a shaky one, as the team lost a couple of quick wickets. However, the innings was held together by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Matthew-Liam-Robins-c75239 and Tom Rowe. The pair put together 157 runs for the third wicket partnership, guiding their side to a solid position.
Rowe got out after collecting 77 runs, but Robins didn’t miss-out on the start he got to his innings. The opening batsman ended up being the top scorer for his side with 118 runs off 176 deliveries. He struck 18 fours and one towering six in his valiant
knock.
The home team’s skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thomas-Granville-Sharp-c93487 made most of the platform laid by the top-order batsmen. He scored a crucial 60-run knock with the help of eight boundaries, guiding his side to 351 runs.
The visitors’ bowler, Gray, picked up four wickets in the innings, but only helped his team take a first innings lead of four runs in the end.
Shropshire’s second innings turned out to be a one man show in the end, as only http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Trevor-Ralph-c66147 managed to make an impression. He collected 140 runs in his fabulous outing, smashing 13 fours and three sixes.
Apart from Ralph, no other batsman in the team even managed to reach forties. The whole team was out for 264 runs, gaining an overall lead of 268 runs.
Smeeth played a crucial role in Cornwall’s success, as he picked up six wickets in the second innings, increasing his tally in the match to 11.
The home team’s start to the chase was a spectacular one, as their openers Robins and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rowe-c86927 collected 84 runs for the first wicket partnership. They collected 97 and 33 in their respective outings.
Sharp scored his second half-century of the match, collecting 53 runs this time around. The effort guided the hosts to a four-wicket win in the end.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jonathan-Robert-Mountford-c69183 fought hard for Shropshire, picking up three wickets, but lacked support from the other end.
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