S9s beaten in final game of season
Cricket Shropshire’s S9 squad rounded off their ECB programme for 2024 with a defeat against Staffordshire at Betley CC.
The game should have been played at the start of the season but had to be rearranged due to the bad weather.
Shropshire lost the toss and were asked to bat first, and their brittle batting came to the fore again as they were dismissed for just 61 in 24.3 overs with only Ewan Woodhouse (13) reaching double figures.
Staffs cruised to 62-0 in 11 overs to claim the win.
Coach Graham Furber said: “We wish Steve Lightfoot and his squad every success in their forthcoming national semi-final.
“With the usual triumvirate of Jonathan Caldecott, Dave and Ellen Hassall unavailable for this fixture, we were indebted to Cricket Shropshire Community Coach Ben Smith and scorer Kerry Woodhouse for their help.
“So ends a very disappointing campaign for the S9s with five defeats out of five games played, with one cancelled because of rain. There have been some excellent individual performances but they have been in isolation.
“Everyone has worked hard but we just haven’t been good enough overall, with persistent unavailability a real issue for us. Recruitment over the winter is now absolutely essential if we are to improve an incredibly loyal but aging squad.”