Shropshire’s cricketers tailed away on the final day at Cornwall as they suffered a first Minor Counties Championship defeat of the season.

Ed Foster’s side went down by four wickets yesterday to make the long trip back from St Austell all the more arduous.

The game looked evenly poised at the start of the final day with Shropshire resuming on 210-5 with a lead of 214.

But they could only add a further 54 runs to that tally and Cornwall made light work of the chase, easing home with more than an hour’s play to spare.

The final victory margin had looked set to be more emphatic before Shifnal’s Jonty Mountford took three late wickets when less than 10 runs were needed.

“It was always going to be the team that won the first session yesterday that were going to be big favourites – and it wasn’t us,” said captain Foster.

“We bowled pretty well yesterday and beat the edge on quite a few occasions.

“But it shows how you can be punished for losing one or two sessions in a three day game, and it’s something we have to learn from.”

That Cornwall would be successful in their pursuit of their target of 269 from a minimum of 79 overs was never in doubt from the time that Matt Robins and Matthew Rowe put on 84 for the first wicket.

Rowe fell to Andy Gray for 33 before Robins and Dan Davis continued to drag Cornwall closer to victory with a partnership of 79.

Clear chances were few and far between for Shropshire before a rapid double strike saw first innings centurion Robins edge Gray into the gloves of Anthony Parker for 97 while Davis was trapped leg before by Jono Whitney for 33.

But any hopes that could lead to a collapse were quickly ended with Tom Rowe – who ended unbeaten on 41 – and home captain Tom Sharp taking Cornwall to the brink.

Sharp was one of three late wickets to fall to Mountford for 53 but it wasn’t enough to save Shropshire.

The visitors had earlier seen their hopes of setting Cornwall in excess of 300 dashed by early wickets.

And, while Mark Downes made an unbeaten 25 and James Ralph advanced to a career best Championship score of 140, Shropshire always looked short – and so it proved.

By JAMES GARRISON