Llanidloes settle for second

Llanidloes Cricket Club have secured promotion to Shropshire Division Six, but will go up as runners-up to champions Lilleshall II who took the title by just one point.

Llanidloes played their part with a comfortable win at Forton on Saturday after chasing down 169-9, Adrian Foulkes made 66. But Lilleshall also recorded a 20-point win to take the crown.

Guilsfield & Llandrinio will be looking to secure full points this Saturday, and hope leaders Column slip up on the final day of what has been a dramatic Shropshire Division Six campaign.

The villagers have been in the leading group all season, but were knocked off top spot after failing to bowl out Bomere Heath on Saturday in their penultimate game.

Batting first, Andy Pugh hit 61 and skipper Dave Lewis added 33 of Guilsfield’s 181, and despite the best efforts of Sam Birch (3-46) and Duncan Todd (3-16), the visitors denied Guilsfield full points by holding out for 133-8.

Elsewhere, Newtown’s fine late season form continued with a Division One victory at Knockin, despite only posting 140. That was because Joe Monk bowled superbly to take 5-18 and secure the spoils for Newtown.

In Division Two, Montgomery could only muster 145 at Albrighton, a total the hosts reached right at the death with six wickets to spare.

But Welshpool, meanwhile, showed there is some fight left in them yet by recording a big win over Shifnal. James Breese hit a mid-order 73 not out as Pool posted 189-7, and the bowlers responded too by dismissing the visitors for 128.