Soaring Shropshire have burst through to the latter stages of the Minor Counties Trophy for the first time in seven years.

Ed Foster’s side produced a dominant display yesterday to defeat rivals Staffordshire at Audley in their final winner-takes-all in group one.

Their five-wicket triumph ensured Shropshire topped the group and guaranteed a home tie in the quarter-finals on Sunday, June 13.

It is the furthest Shropshire have progressed in the 50-over competition since they reached the final in 2003.

The last eight tie will take place at Shrewsbury, with Minor Counties Association officials waiting for final confirmation on whether Shropshire will face either Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire of Suffolk.

They have all finished on five points and the finishing order will be decided by net run-rate, with Shropshire facing the runners-up.

But Foster was simply delighted to see his side storm through in emphatic fashion. “The chase was fairly straight-forward which was important,” he said.

“It was a very difficult group and, if I’m being honest, at the start of the season I thought we would find it hard to progress.

“But it’s been a fantastic effort to finish top and now we are into knockout cricket.”

Yesterday’s hero was Whitchurch seamer Dan Bowen, who ended with figures of 6-25 from 10 overs, the best ever from a Shropshire bowler in one-day cricket.

The 22-year-old, on only his third appearance for Shropshire, eclipsed the figures of Anthony O’Connor and Adam Shimmons, who jointly held the previous best of 5-26.

By JAMES GARRISON