Delighted chairman Andy Barnard has hailed inspirational captain Ed Foster and his gifted young side as “outstanding” after Shrewsbury were crowned Birmingham Cricket League premier division champions for the first time.
Barnard, involved with the London Road club as a player and now official for 35 years, said Shrewsbury’s brilliant success was built on solid foundations with Foster leading his youthful group of players, most of them talented local lads who have come up through the ranks, in real style.
Leg spinner Elliot Green, 19, from Bayston Hill was the star of Shrewsbury’s dramatic final day victory at fellow title contenders Kidderminster, his remarkable nine-wicket haul enabling the celebrations to begin.
Barnard said it had been a real team effort but was quick to salute skipper Foster, 25, who also led Shropshire to their first silverware in nearly 40 years.
“Ed’s outstanding and why he’s not playing first class cricket is still beyond me,” said Barnard.
“He leads the county to their first triumph in three decades and then takes us to the highest point in the Birmingham League. He’s an outstanding character and I’m sure he will get lots of awards and plaudits because of it.”
Barnard added the fact that most of the side were Shrewsbury through and through had gone a long way towards bringing the prestigious title – from a league renowned as the strongest in the country – to the county town for the first time.
“That’s the heart of a lot of our success,” he insisted. “That’s why we’re successful and have come through difficult times as there’s a lot of belief in there.
“We don’t spend lots of money on our players. We ask them to play, they commit to each other and I think that’s the strength of it.
“We’re well ahead of where we thought we would get when we first came into the Birmingham League about 10 years ago. It’s taken a while but it’s been based on good foundations and I think that’s why we’ve got there in the end.”
Barnard was a member of the Shrewsbury side who lifted the National KO Trophy at Lord’s in 1983, but he believes the current team are as good as any crop of players the club have had.
Proud captain Foster, who hit 788 league runs this season, revealed the celebrations continued long into the night last weekend at a packed clubhouse.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a couple of weeks yet,” said Foster, who was never given the chance to show what he can do during frustrating spells at Worcestershire and Leicestershire.
“It’s nice to have finished the season on such a high with a landmark achievement.”
He added that England goalkeeper Joe Hart, a former Shrewsbury CC player, had turned up at London Road during Sunday’s Graham Williamson Trophy victory over Himley to offer his congratulations on the championship triumph.
By Stuart Dunn