Shropshire Star

Trio come in for start of title defence

Reigning champions Shropshire have made three changes for their testing British Ladies County Championship opener at the weekend.

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They take on Yorkshire, the side they beat in last year’s semi-finals en route to the national title, on Sunday in a tricky first game in qualifying group one.

The changes see new Ladies Averages Classic champion Sally Clee, her Wrockwardine Wood team-mate Sian Skelton and Pauline Grocott (Sir John Bayley) return to the starting 12s.

Left out from the team that beat Warwick & Worcester by 23 shots in the final at Stretton in Burton last August are Julie Pearce, Karen Bennett and Siobhan Harding.

Skelton will be one of two permitted homesters at Wrockwardine Wood No.1, where Grocott also returns to county duty after a year off, while Clee will be No.1 in the away leg at Meltham.

County women’s secretary Angela Gaut acknowledged: “It’s very tough match to start the 2017 campaign, but we are defending champions and will take on this challenge with the greatest respect for Yorkshire.”

She still has a handful of spare seats on the coach to Yorkshire at a cost of £10 each and advises that the Telford home venue is available for practice on Thursday afternoon and evening, Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.