Shropshire cricket captain Ed Foster is refusing to contemplate a Minor Counties Championship title challenge – despite his team lying top of the table.

Yesterday’s thrilling draw with Dorset at Bridgnorth has left Shropshire with a narrow one-point buffer over the chasing pack with a third of the six-game western division season gone.

It was so nearly significantly better for the home side who were within one wicket off securing a second successive victory as Dorset ended on 256-9 in pursuit of 384 for victory.

Shropshire had 26 balls at the final pair but couldn’t take the last prized scalp which would have seen them double their 12 point haul from the game.

With a semi-final in the MCCA one-day Trophy also on the horizon, Foster is thrilled with the way his side are performing in the opening stages of the campaign – but is refusing to get carried away.

“We are playing well enough at the moment to finish in the top three in the Championship which was our aim at the start of the season,” said the captain.

“But there is a long way to go and we have to show consistency.

“Are we title contenders? Ask me in a couple of games time.”

Foster admitted he left Bridgnorth with a mixture of pride and frustration.

“It was an unbelievable effort from the bowlers yesterday afternoon to get them nine down on what was still a very flat wicket,” he added.

Improved

“We were really close to winning it and it didn’t quite happen for us but I can’t fault the lads. They fought superbly.

“The one part of the game we could have improved on was the batting on the first day because we should have got more than 327.

“We have to learn from that but we made all the running in the second half of the game and it’s disappointing we end up with no more points than them.”

Shropshire are back in action in the Championship when they travel to Oxfordshire on Sunday week.

By JAMES GARRISON