Shropshire County Cricket League Premier Division

Whitchurch's slow start to the season continued when they beaten by early pace-setters Newport in the Shropshire County Cricket League Premier Division at Heath Road on Saturday.

Daniel Bowen won the toss but decided to take the first use of the track, despite the midweek rains in Shropshire.

And it would have been a decision he would soon come to regret as, despite Vansh Bajaj and Nadeem Ahmad seeing them to 16-1 and then 28-2 with Bajaj's dismissal, they were 31-6 with much of the top and middle order blown away by Sam Davies and Mark Downes.

Davies had Bajaj caught behind by Jonathon Goodwin for 20 but the collapse started with Salim Ahmed's dismissal, bowled by Davies, before Elliott Bowen and Kristen Ali were gone as Whitchurch went from 31-4 to 31-6.

Simon Dimelow and Matthew Batkin were able to stage a mini-recovery before the former was removed for five by Davies, having moved the score onto 47-7 while Daniel Bowen was out first ball, trapped lbw by Davies.

Batkin then went on the offensive for Whitchurch and scored 30 from 40 balls including four fours, sharing a ninth-wicket partnership of 46 with Eddie Lewis, who contributed seven, but he was left stranded as the Heath Road men were bowled out for 94 in just the 27th over.

Davies was the pick of the Newport bowling with 6-45 from 10 overs, although Batkin's assault put a dent in his figures towards the end.

There were 26 extras.

In reply, Davies could not convert his bowling into batting as he was bowled by Aatif Ali to give Whitchurch hope at 13-1.

But Daniel Bowen's dismissal of Goodwin for six was too little too late, even at 34-2, as Maisam Hasnain Jaffri' took the home attack apart with eight fours to finish 46 not out from 69 balls.

Bajaj and Elliott Bowen both finished wicketless as Whitchurch tasted defeat again in their return to Shropshire league cricket.

Defeat leaves them second from bottom with just eight points from three games, five of them from a cancellation.

It was a better weekend for the second XI however when they recorded a six-wicket win at Market Drayton's first XI.

They bowled their hosts out for 57 in 30 overs while they reached their target within 19 overs for the loss of four wickets.

On Sunday, the third XI also lost by five wickets when they faced Alberbury at Heath Road – Dave Weaver's 40 was the pick of the innings as Whitchurch were bowled out for 129.

Whitchurch first XI face St Georges away on Saturday and the second XI host Wellington.