Worcestershire seamer Mitchell Stanley is added to the Shropshire squad for the county’s final NCCA Championship match of the season against Devon.
Stanley is included in a 12-man squad for the three-day match at Sidmouth, which starts on Sunday (11am).
Stanley, who has previously represented Shropshire at a number of age group levels and plays his club cricket in the county for Shifnal, played regularly for Worcestershire’s 2nd XI earlier this season.
He replaces the unavailable Harry Cooke as the only change to the 12 picked for Shropshire’s last match, the six-wicket win over Cornwall earlier this week.
Promising Shrewsbury all-rounder Cooke, a member of Worcestershire’s Academy, did not feature in the final XI for the Cornwall match, after making his first-team debut in the previous county match against Wales at Abergavenny.
Director of Cricket John Abrahams said: “Harry Cooke is not available for the Devon game owing to school commitments, but we have been offered the services of Mitchell Stanley by Worcestershire and he comes into the 12.
“Mitchell played in our NCCA Trophy game against Cheshire at Toft in June. He performed really well but unfortunately we didn’t as a team on the day.
“Worcestershire has asked if he can be part of our match against Devon to help with his back to bowling programme as he returns from injury.
“I’m obviously happy to help our first class neighbours and it will strengthen the standard of our fast bowling unit.”
Abrahams wants Shropshire to follow up their impressive performance against Cornwall by ending the season on a positive note against Devon as he looks forward to his first visit to Sidmouth Cricket Club.
“It was a really good team performance against Cornwall,” he added. “Everybody contributed along the way to the win.
“All the players who featured in the team for the Cornwall match are available again for the Devon game, so it was more or less automatic that they should all be in the 12 for the final Championship game.
“”Everybody we talk to is very complimentary of not only where the ground at Sidmouth is situated, but also the quality of the facilities, so we are all looking forward to it.
“We seem to be improving as the season’s progressing, which is good, and hopefully we can finish in a positive way against Devon.”
Shropshire, from: George Hargrave (Shrewsbury), Ryan Lockley (Oswestry), James Shaw (Sentinel), Simon Gregory (Bridgnorth), Graham Wagg (Biddestone), Xavier Clarke (Shifnal), Ben Lees (Bridgnorth), Sam Ellis (Formby), Matty Simmonds (Bridgnorth), Sam Whitney (Bridgnorth, captain), Ben Parker (Kidderminster), Mitchell Stanley (Shifnal).
Pictured: Bridgnorth’s Cricket Meadow was the venue for Shropshire’s six-wicket victory against Cornwall earlier this week.