Can Shropshire repeat Crosfield Cup win?

At last people are starting to believe it – Shropshire have everything in place to win the Crosfield Cup again.

The current squad of players and selectors are in the perfect mood to end the 35-year wait since 1974 for only the county's second British championship crown.

And not even the prospect of facing Yorkshire in the final should scare them after an ultimately convincing 28 chalk dismissal of North Midlands in the last four on Sunday.

Any thoughts of crumbling after a tough start, both on Old Shrewsbury No 1 and Dunlop No 2, were dispelled by a total of 11 winners at home in a 53 shot success and a brilliant finish in Coventry to limit the damage to 25.

It was an outcome predicted almost exactly by selector Dennis Lewis, who watched with immense pride on his return to his old North Mids hunting ground.

"It was an absolutely brilliant result – and I really enjoyed my speech afterwards!" said Lewis.

"They were very kind to me and welcomed me back – and by the end they were telling me what a superb squad we have got.

"We've got strength in depth and belief too."

And belief was the key to the outcome in Coventry as the home side's powerful first four raced 29 ahead.

"The green was quick and running and they were very vocal, so to keep them down to 25 was a marvellous performance – and they slowly got quieter and quieter!

"Alan Palin (who raced 13-2 up at No 9) was the man of the match and deservedly so as he swung the match.

"And to have 11 winners at home was brilliant too – especially when people were saying we had picked the wrong green!

"We knew the experience our players had of Old Shrewsbury would pay off."

It could have been an even bigger winning margin there as Dave Hoffman and Clay Flattley had big leads in the middle, as did Andy Duckett at the back.

But nit-picking about dropped chalks would be totally wrong after a day when the home side showed true determination to get the job done.

New All England champion Callum Wraight was awesome, Wayne Phillips produced his best display in a county shirt for some time, Rich Goddard was back near his best and Mike Dulson fought hard to run out from 18-13 down on his debut.

Best winner, 21-6 star at No 11 Paul Williams, added his own tributes: "The support we had (from a crowd approaching 400) was superb and Old Shrewsbury did a great job because the green was a mess in midweek after all the rain."

But the last word must go to Lewis, who had four years as a North Midlands selector, reaching two finals.

"The comradeship in this Shropshire squad is that good it is unique – I never saw anything like this in my time with North Mids."

By MALCOLM FLETCHER