Minor Counties: Shropshire seal two-day victory over Cheshire

Shropshire had not won a Minor Counties Championship game at Heath Road in eight attempts since 2006

Shropshire enjoyed their first victory of 2015 as they finished off neighbours Cheshire inside five sessions in their opening Minor Counties Championship game of the summer at Whitchurch.

Ben Sanderson claimed 11 wickets in the match, taking 6-39 as Cheshire were bowled out for 100 on day one and 5-19 in the second innings.

Shropshire declared on 358-9, with Tom Weston hitting 105, a lead of 258.

The visitors were then shot out for 108 to lose by an innings and 150 runs.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first at Heath Road, Cheshire were blown away by Sanderson as they slumped to 23-5 on the first morning, eventually being bowled out just after lunch as debutant Matt Higginbotham backed up his new ball partner with 3-33.

Shropshire made a poor start too, slumping to 26-3, but they closed on 232-7, thanks to an unbroken eighth-wicket stand between Weston and Ross Aucott.

Weston went on to complete his century on day two shortly before Auscott was run out for 91 to end a new county eighth-wicket partnership of 177.

When Cheshire batted again, they were soon in trouble at 53-6, eventually being bowled out in the 35th over as Gurdeep Randhawa (4-35) returned to finish off the tail.

Shropshire had experienced a sluggish start to the 2015 season, losing all four 50-over Knockout Trophy qualifying group games before being knocked out of the inaugural Minor Counties Twenty20 competition at the first hurdle.