Shropshire boss hails side after defeating Dorset
Shropshire coach Kevin Sharp has hailed the strength in depth of the squad following their Minor Counties Championship victory over Dorset.
The county side, which included three enforced changes from its previous match, won the tense three-day encounter by 127 runs.
Victory was sealed at Bridgnorth Cricket Club yesterday and was the seventh win of the season for Sharp's in-form Shropshire troops.
Rotherham Town's Ben Sanderson and Oswestry's Jonathan Miles had already been drafted in, after Worcestershire commitments ruled out Joe Leach and work issues removed Anthony Parker from the squad.
Shifnal batsman George Collins, like Miles, was handed a Shropshire debut after the withdrawal of Bilal Shafayat, who was pursuing an opportunity to get back into the first class game.
Sharp admitted that availability was an issue when it comes to three-day games, in particular.
But the Shropshire boss hailed the response of the re-jigged side after they made it two wins in as many Minor Counties Championship games and seven in all competitive matches so far this season.
He said: "It is a credit to the county. When players have to give up work for two days you will not always get 100 per cent availability.
"But the guys who have come in have done really well. There's one or two who were playing for us for the first time and they have stood up to be counted.
"Already this year, we have used 20 players and the team has won seven out of seven.
"Both debutants looked like they had been playing there a long time. It's just great credit to the county that we have got such strength in depth."
Sharp also reserved particular praise for the first innings batting of Steve Leach and Joe Clarke.
He added tgar the the team's destructive bowling display in their opponent's first innings, which had seen the visitors removed for just 129, had been the key turning point.
