Shropshire playing for pride

Saturday 2nd August 2008, 11:49AM BST.

Captain James Ralph has called on his Shropshire team to up the ante in their Minor Counties Championship trip to Wales.

Two defeats in their first four games has ended hopes of a challenge for the Western Division title.

But Ralphs is still keen for his side to end the season on a high and display considerable improvement with the bat.

“It’s really disappointing we are not closer to the top of the table,” said Ralphs ahead of the trip to Abergavenny.

“We should have beaten Cornwall and should have made a better fist of it against Oxfordshire.

“We need to show more bottle and more application when we are batting. In the past 90 overs wouldn’t have been enough for us to bat in the first innings.

“We could have batted a 120 overs, but we haven’t got anywhere near batting 90 overs. We have given our wickets away too easily and we have to fight tooth and nail.”