In-form Tom Cox and Mike Barnard miss season finale

By Stuart Dunn at the Shrewsbury Chronicle

Tom Cox, fresh from hitting his first century of the season last weekend, and paceman Mike Barnard are both unavailable for Shrewsbury’s final match of their Birmingham Cricket League premier division season at Walmley on Saturday.

Cox cracked a glorious, unbeaten 120 in last Saturday’s home win over Walsall which condemned the visitors to relegation.

It was part one of a highly successful weekend for the London Roaders as they swiftly followed it up with a 113 run beating of Walmey, this Saturday’s hosts, to lift the Graham Williamson Trophy for a fifth successive year.

Now skipper Rob Foster wants his in-form side, who have climbed to fourth in the table, to sign off a season which has improved the longer it went on with one final flourish.

“I think we could fall to sixth if we lose so it would be nice to finish on a high by picking up another good result,” said Foster. “It would be great to keep the winning run going and we’ve been playing well recently.”

Shrewsbury all-rounder Joe Leach, who has enjoyed such a promising season with Worcestershire, played a starring role with the bat for the Pears in the first innings of their crunch clash with Surrey this week.

Leach, who played for Shrewsbury last Saturday, top scored with 70 for Worcestershire as they chase victory to make their County Championship second division promotion dreams come true in their penultimate game of the season.

Shrewsbury’s second team, meanwhile, were relegated from the Birmingham League’s premier reserve division following defeat at Wolverhampton II last weekend despite centuries from Will Parton and Australian youngster Patrick Butler.