Oswestry misses out in bid for top cricket tie

Hopes of Shropshire hosting a major First Class cricket clash have been dashed. Glamorgan had been in talks with Oswestry officials about staging next August's Clydesdale Bank 40 fixture against Somerset at Morda Road.

But the Welsh county have now elected to stage one of their highest profile fixtures of the season at their main SWALEC Stadium home.

"We got a long, long way down the road but we just fell at the final hurdle," said Oswestry club captain Mike Robinson.

"I think, in the end, Glamorgan probably felt the fixture with Somerset was almost too good a game to send to us.

"We were working towards a capacity of 2,500 and Glamorgan probably felt they could get more than that at the SWALEC.

"We are slightly disappointed but we feel it's a great feather in our cap that they even considered us and hopefully it will lead to something else in the future."

Meanwhile, Oswestry have confirmed that South African opening batsman Warrick Fynn will return for the club's Birmingham League division three campaign in 2011.

Fynn spent two seasons at Morda Road, helping the club to the Marston's Shropshire Premier League title in 2007 before scoring 800 runs in a relegation campaign in their first ever season in the Birmingham League.

He replaces Mudassir Pasha in the overseas role and Robinson revealed: "Warrick is now settled and living just outside Oswestry so it's ideal for all parties and we are delighted to welcome him back."

By James Garrison