Shrewsbury’s fate sealed but they go down fighting

A miserable season for the Shropshire club almost concluded with them influencing the title race before the hosts ground out a nail-biting one-wicket win to clinch the crown.

But Shrewsbury’s own fate was sealed elsewhere, as Barnards Green beat Kidderminster to condemn them to the drop regardless of the result in south Birmingham. Next season will be the first time since 2008 they have not competed in the league’s top flight.

There was certainly no shortage of fight after being bowled out for what looked a below-par total of 142 after choosing to bat.

Harry Darley ripped into Moseley’s top order on the way to figures of 4-28 as the hosts, perhaps with one eye on events at Knowle and Dorridge where they needed the hosts to lose against Kenilworth Wardens, began to stumble.

When Yadvinder Singh was the ninth wicket to fall with the score on 128, Shrewsbury appeared favourites but last pair Usman Awan and Ali Hassan held their nerve to see Moseley over the line to the title as Knowle went down by two wickets to Kenilworth.

Shrewsbury’s relegation means Shropshire will be without a top-flight representative next term, but the county will have four in Division Two after Worfield secured their second tier status with a superb two-wicket final day win over Tamworth.

Worfield went into the match just three points clear of the drop zone and at risk of being overtaken by Lichfield.

Ross Aucott and Ben Parker took three wickets each after Tamworth chose to bat but the visitors still compiled an imposing total of 280.

The chase then got off to a bad start when openers Laurence Picken and Greg Wright fell cheaply and though Will Cook hit 49, Worfield still looked second favourites when Joe Arnold was the sixth wicket to fall with more than 100 still needed.

But South African overseas star Hanro Swanepoel then took charge, hitting seven sixes on his way to an unbeaten 72. The final six came off the first ball of the final over with seven required for victory. Swanepoel then struck the third ball for four to secure it. The brilliant win proved an added bonus as Worfield’s survival was ultimately guaranteed by Shifnal’s 39-run win at Lichfield.

Matthew Lamb top-scored with 34 as the visitors reached 213-9 from 50 overs, with Mitch Stanley and Alex Renton then taking three wickets apiece as the home side were bowled out for 174. The win was enough to secure Shifnal a fifth-placed finish.

Bridgnorth, their relegation fears already ended the previous week, finished the season on a high with a win over Division Two champions West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Matt Martin’s 82 and half-centuries from Rahul Kaushal and Ryan Lockley helped the Shropshire club reach 291-8 and though Shozair Ali smacked 100 from 67 balls for Dartmouth, Matt Simmonds took four wickets as Bridgnorth won by 53 runs.