Captains collude in result bid

Tuesday 19th August 2008, 11:50AM BST.

Rival captains James Ralph and Bob Dawson were hoping to salvage something from the wreckage of the rain-ruined Minor Counties Cricket Championship clash between Shropshire and Devon today.

Heavy rain ensured no play was possible on the second day of three at Instow.

Despite neither side having a chance of winning the title, both Ralph and Dawson are keen to force a conclusion to the last game of the season.

The only play so far has seen Shropshire’s first innings end on 348-9, including an unbeaten 158 from Atiq-ur-Rehman.

Should the rain stay away today, the most likely scenario is for Devon and Shropshire to forfeit one innings each. That would leave the hosts chasing 349 for victory in a day – at a rate of around five an over.