HEREFORDSHIRE have regained the NCCA Western Division 1 place they lost last season after ending their campaign with a four-wicket success against near rivals Shropshire.
In a thrilling match at Eastnor, Herefordshire finally came through after Shropshire, for long periods of the game, looked like holding on for the draw which would have given them the single Western Division 2 promotion place.
It was another fine team effort by Herefordshire whose victory was again underpinned by a large first innings score in which all of the eight players who went to the crease passed 20.
Herefordshire made the attacking decision of inviting Shropshire to bat in good conditions on the first morning.
And their decision looked questionable for a while as the visitors moved quickly on to 45-0.
But the Herefordshire seamers James Rudge (2-37), Chris Steele (3-65) and Ollie Walker, whose three wickets in his figures of 3-39 came in four balls, then cut a swathe through the Shropshire batting as they subsided to 74-7.
Simon Gregory (60) led a fight-back but Taylor Cornall (2-4) snapped up the last two wickets to wrap the innings up at 178.
Herefordshire openers Ben Chapman-Lilley (51) and skipper Matt Pardoe (45) had 50 on the board inside six overs and their efforts were followed by good scores from Henry Cullen (51), Cornall (26), Walker (20) and Rudge (23).
But the best batting of the innings came in an unbeaten stand of 157 for the 7th wicket – a new county record – between Nick Hammond (87 not out) and Luke Tulacz (88 not out) who piloted Herefordshire to an imposing 416-6 from their 90 overs.
Shropshire, however, fought back well and when their score stood at 178-1 at the close of the second day, a draw seemed likely.
With only one further dismissal on the third morning and Tom Fell (154) in control for the visitors, Herefordshire’s hopes seemed to be subsiding still further.
But the home side plugged away with Rudge (4-61), Pardoe (3-59), Cornall (2-46) and Walker (1-26) eventually dismissing the visitors for 369.
The victory target of 132 looked within easy reach as Pardoe (53) and Cornall (11) raced to 40 inside five overs.
But wickets fell steadily until the cool head of Hammond (35 not out) saw Herefordshire to the brink of a victory achieved when Roshan Venkataraman hoisted Joe Stanley over mid-wicket for four.
