SUPER skipper Sam Edwards came up trumps to bowl Ludlow to a dramatic win over Cound in the Shropshire County League Premier Division.

Edwards conjured up a cameo 14-ball spell that proved the key to Ludlow sealing a 10-run victory over their visitors at The Burway.

Chasing 188 to win, the odds looked weighted in Cound’s favour when they reached 164 for six - but then Edwards intervened.

He had Dan Tudor caught low down at mid-wicket by Will Gough for 18 and after Alfie Holliehead knocked out Henry Cooper’s stumps, Edwards removed Cound’s 10 and 11, thanks to two catches at mid-on from Dylan Grinker, to finish with 3-4 off 14 deliveries.

South African pro Kevin Hinton had earlier taken 3-56 to keep Cound in check, with Grinker running out Jack Case for 31 at 80-4.

Grinker, playing his last game before heading off to Europe for a month, had earlier topscored with 40 (seven fours) with Edwards also making 33. Sam Alford finished on 32 not out (two fours, two sixes) and Holliehead contributed a crucial 13 as Ludlow, well set at 110-2 at one stage, rallied from 139-8 to what proved a matchwinning 187 all out.

Ludlow, in third place in the table, are at home again this Saturday when they welcome second-placed Frankton to The Burway.

In Reserve Division One, Ludlow 2nd made a decent fist of chasing a victory target of 208 against Cound 2nd. A third-wicket stand of 120 between Farrell Younger-Waters (64) and Andy Parry (44) had provided the backbone for Cound to make 207, Tom Gloster trapping Parry lbw at 129 for four and then finishing off the innings to end with 3-28.

Opener Glen Whittaker hit a sound 62 in reply and was given some solid support from Sam Roberts (21), Gloster (33), captain William Wood (16) and Bryan Leighton (25) but Ludlow came up narrowly short on 199 all out.

Captain fantastic Simon Miles was the matchwinner for Ludlow 4th as they won by 13 runs at Llanidloes 2nd in Division Five.

Miles topscored with 41 of Ludlow’s 128 all out in 37.4 overs, and then took over with the ball, his 5-36 off 14.3 overs seeing the Welsh side dismissed for 115 in the 37th over.

*LUDLOW made it two wins from two starts in the South Shropshire Twenty20 League when they beat Cleobury Mortimer by 34 runs last Wednesday.

Opener Jamie Smith blasted six fours and two sixes as his 44 anchored Ludlow’s 132 for seven, and Cleobury then folded from 61-1 to 98 all out once openers Ben Griffiths (24) and Sam Evans (18) had been dismissed. Keanu Cooper did most of the damage with four middle-order wickets for 14 runs off his four overs.

Ludlow new boy Sam Alford hit 56 for Dales as the Leominster-based outfit beat Clee Hill by six wickets.

Clee Hill were kept down to 109 for seven - Ian Harrington making 31 and opener Harry Martin 28 - and Dales were comfortable winners on 111 for four off 12.2 overs. Lee Alford took 3-22 for Dales.