U16s in fine form with Morris and Davies to the fore
A century from skipper Matthew Morris and a five-wicket haul for spinner Ralph Davies saw Shropshire Boys Under 16s to an impressive victory over Buckinghamshire at Wrekin College.
Batting first after winning the toss, opener Will Parkinson-Witte hit 27, Dylan Barkley 20 and George Jenkins 22 to set up the innings.
Morris, returning from injury, then took centre stage with his century from 91 balls, well supported by Bobby Langton who was unbeaten on 30 at the close of the innings with Shropshire on 259-7.
Buckinghamshire made a steady start to their reply and had reached 71 before Davies was introduced into the attack.
He then took 5-22 off his ten overs to rip out the heart of the Buckinghamshire batting order and with Ollie Dyson claiming 2-11 the visitors were bowled out for 146.
Lead Coach Tyler Ibbotson said: “Buckinghamshire had already beaten two First Class county pathways this season, so this was an excellent result.
“Morris showed great maturity and control on a difficult surface, while Davies was rewarded for his accuracy and consistency with a fantastic five-wicket haul.
“Most pleasing was the contribution from the whole group. It was a complete team performance.”
They then backed the win up on their travels by beating Oxfordshire at Ermont Way by 30 runs.
Batting first, opener Dylan Barkley led the way with 60, Jake Adams hit 55 and Harry Harrison 29 as Shropshire made 226-9 from their 50 overs.
Morris then turned it on with the ball claiming 4-22 as the hosts were dismissed for 196. Luca Evans claimed 2-12, Davies 2-38 and Dyson 2-58.
Shropshire’s Under 12s EEP side claimed two T20 wins when they hosted Cricket Wales at Whittington CC.
In the first game, they were bowled out for 84 with Billy Anders top scoring with 26. But the bowling attack then got to work with Jonty Hulland claimed 3-13, Noah McClure 2-1 and Johaan Manoj 2-5 as the visitors were dismissed for 57.
The batters enjoyed the second game more with Wales batting first and making 124-5, Hulland again leading the way with 2-2 from two overs.
In the replay, McClure made a half century before retiring and Eli Allen hit 34 as Shropshire reached their victory target for the loss of just one wicket with more than three overs to spare.
They then travelled across the border to take on Staffordshire at the Onneley Oval. Batting first, the hosts made 216-4 from their 40 overs with Hulland claiming 2-38.
In reply, Shropshire were bowled out for 176 with Harrison Barkley top scoring with 39, Levi Lane making 39 and James Quin 27.
The U14s Boys were involved in a tie when they travelled to Kenilworth Wardens CC to take on Warwickshire in two T20s.
Batting first, the hosts made 146-5 with Ali Khan claiming 3-28. In the reply Shropshire finished on 146-8 to tie the game, Lucas Lane hitting 35, Oliver Porter 23 and Andreas Davis 28 before being run out off the last ball attempting to score the winning run.
In the earlier game, Shropshire batted first and made 152-5 with Porter making 25, Eli Graves 37 and Reuben Kundu 38. The hosts reached their victory target for the loss of two wickets.
The Under 13s were also in action at Kenilworth in two T20s.
The first game saw the hosts bat first and make 187-5 with Hridhaan Golar claiming two wickets. In the reply, Shropshire were dismissed for 147 with contributions from Edward Martin (36), Adam Humphreys (22) and Joseph Duckett (21).
In the second game Shropshire batted first and made 159-7 with skipper Elliott Weaver hitting 40, Adam Humphreys 24 and Martin 25. Warwickshire reached their victory target for the loss of two wickets with five balls to spare.
The Under 14 boys were involved in a thriller when they took on Buckinghamshire at Bridgnorth CC – losing by just one wicket.
Batting first, Andreas Davis led the way with 60 as Shropshire were bowled out for 209 with the other batters getting starts but failing to go on to make a big score.
In the reply, Ruben Pembleton kept Shropshire in the contest claiming 5-44, but the visitors got over the line with one wicket in hand.
The Under 18 Boys took on Herefordshire in a two-day game at Bomere Heath CC which ended in a draw.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first and were well placed before wickets tumbled at the end of their innings as Ollie Dyson claimed 4-10 and they were bowled out for 254. Earlier Alfie Briggs had claimed 3-57 and Alex Heath 2-52.
In their first innings, Shropshire were bowled out for 300 with Morgan Ward hitting 54 and Harry Parton 51,
They were backed up with scores from Harry Harrison (42), Matthew Morris (38), Dyson (28), Briggs (25) and Sohaym Maddekar (24).
In their second innings, the visitors declared on 282-9 with spinner Ralph Davies claiming 4-54 and skipper Jack Shields 2-40.
In the reply, Shropshire lost three early wickets before a 130-run stand between Maddekar (70) and Ward (69 off 53 balls) gave them a sniff of victory.
But once they were dismissed, Shropshire finished on 197-8 to seal the draw.