NCCA Counties

Sahal Malvernkar led the way with an unbeaten 91 as Shropshire hit back in style from defeat in Sunday’s NCCA T20 opener against Staffordshire to beat their neighbours by eight wickets in game two.Opener Malvernkar struck four sixes and 10 boundaries, facing 52 balls, as he helped the county – whose side included three teenagers in Finn Jones, Ollie Smith and Morgan Ward, who have all progressed through the Shropshire pathway – complete an excellent victory with 11 balls to spare at Wem Cricket Club.Malvernkar’s entertaining innings is the second highest score from a Shropshire player in the history of the T20 competition, only bettered by George Hargrave’s unbeaten 129 against Wales at St Asaph in 2024.The result and performance was just the response Shropshire wanted after losing the day’s opening match by 32 runs, with Shropshire – just like a week earlier against Cheshire at Didsbury in this season’s T20 opener – hitting back impressively to win the day’s second game. Staffordshire, invited to bat first by Shropshire skipper Tom Fell in both games, accumulated 148-5 from their 20 overs in the day’s second match.An unbroken sixth wicket stand of 54 between Ollie Walker (51no) and Joe Hawkins (33no) boosted their total after earlier being reduced to 51-4, with opener Nils Priestley making 25.Malvernkar continued to impress, sharing a Ben Roberts took 2-31 while there was a wicket apiece for Matt Simmonds, Smith and Joe Stanley.Shropshire then chased well with openers Malvernkar and Joe Johnson quickly putting on 74 in six and a half overs, before Johnson headed back to the pavilion for 23.second wicket partnership of 68 with Fell (27) as Shropshire closed in on victory, progressing to 151-2 from the first ball of the penultimate over, to leave honours even.