Damage limitation proved the order of the day for Shropshire’s cricketers as they made a disastrous start to their Minor Counties Championship meeting with Cornwall.

Electing to bat first on a largely overcast day at Whitchurch where rain interrupted on three occasions, Shropshire were in desperate trouble at 67-6 at lunch following a morning session which was delayed by an hour.

They eventually posted 202 in their first innings, before taking three Cornwall wickets to reduce the visitors to 84-3 before bad light ended play shortly after 7pm.

And that represented something of a recovery after Shropshire’s top-order mis-fired for the first time in three-day cricket this season.

The warning signs were up as early as the fifth over, by which time Cornwall had already claimed the crucial scalps of Ed Foster and Chris Murtagh.

A rare failure for capain Foster came when he mis-timed an attempted pull from Sam Hockin, the ball looping straight to Gary Thomas at mid-on.

Trapped

Professional Murtagh was to follow in the next over without scoring, left-arm seamer Alex Smeeth producing a fine delivery to dismiss the former Surrey man without scoring.

Cornwall’s early bowling was inconsistent, but they continued to produce wicket-taking deliveries in seamer-friendly conditions.

Alex Huxley was unfortunate to be trapped leg before by Dan Davis,, but the shot selection of Shropshire’s middle order proved their downfall.

On his home ground, Richard Oliver was dismissed for a second ball duck as he was bowled by Smeeth to a ball he attempted to leave.

A loose shot from Will Parton saw him caught at second slip, while Rob Foster – who held the innings together throughout those early overs – would have been disappointed to be caught at point for 30.

But when Shropshire’s batting is in a precarious position, Andy Gray has become the man to salvage Shropshire.

After doing a similar job in the last outing at Oxfordshire, he made a gritty 68 yesterday before being trapped leg before by Cornwall spinner and captain Tom Sharp as the Shropshire tail wagged.

A gritty 15 from Matt Tilt gave Gray support before coming the fourth victim of Davis, who bowled 24 unchanged overs.

Steve Taylor then chipped in with a vital 32, sharing a 50-run eight-wicket partnership with Gray to see the hosts earn one batting bonus point.

In reply, Cornwall made an imposing start with Matthew Robins looking in fine fettle.

But an opening stand of 42 was broken when Taylor had Dave Roberts trapped leg before, before he bowled Robins for 30 in his next over.

Jonty Mountford marked his return to the Shropshire fold by taking the wicket of Gary Thomas – leg before playing no shot – shortly before the close.

And, although they had kept themselves in contention after a shaky start to the day, there were Shropshire regrets that former Somerset man Keith Parsons remained unbeaten on 30 at the close after he was dropped by Oliver at point off the bowling of Taylor.

By JAMES GARRISON