Juniors get a win to secure survival
The feel-good factor is back for Shropshire’s youngsters after a first win of the season secured their top-flight status in the Drakes Pride British Junior County Championship.
They beat Derbyshire by 17 shots overall to make sure of their Premier Division place next year, a super 43-chalk away win at Littleover being the key ingredient.
Eight winners on the road, led by Kelly Price with a 21-11 card in a fantastic first four, was the perfect foundation on Sunday as the tide finally turned following defeats against Yorkshire, Warwick & Worcester and Wales. It was tough for the younger home team in difficult conditions at Maddocks, but they still had six winners there, three-in-a-row Shropshire Ladies Junior Merit champion Emma Massey-Jones the best with 21-11, to keep the deficit down enough to win the match overall.
“Shropshire juniors guaranteed their place in the Premier Division next season by beating Derbyshire – a big Welsh defeat (against Yorkshire) meaning that they will finish at least above Derbyshire or Wales, regardless of their result next month,” said a county association spokesman.
And victory made the relieved selectors happy, Rich Lawson declaring: “Well done Shropshire Juniors in beating Derbyshire.
“A strong Derbyshire away side won at Maddocks by 26 with some excellent bowling from both teams, but a huge well done to our away side who put in a superb performance to win by 43 and giving us an overall win.”
Away team manager Simon Parsonage responded: “We don’t take all the credit – all 24 players have tried their best and given us a great team win.
“Well done to both home and away sides!”
Rhys Marshall, Liam Dovey, Matt Parry, George Cooper, Camilla Parsonage, Emmet McKinley and Kian Parsons were Shropshire’s other sucess stories in Derbyshire, while Tom Killen was a crucial 21-13 back four winner at home.
County official Mike Potter added: “After the torrential rain overnight, a massive thanks must go to greenkeeper Roger Plumb and his team for working very hard for seven hours to get the Maddocks surface into a playable condition.”
Home player of the match was debutant James Shepherd, who got 20, while there was a late call-up for 12-year-old Wayd Pawlowski – and both look to have big roles to play in the future.
