CORNWALL crashed to a two-day Unicorns Counties Championship defeat on Monday against Shropshire at St Austell.

They were outplayed and a lot of it was down to the current Unicorns and former Yorkshire quick bowler Ben Sanderson.

The 25 year old was on Yorkshire’s books for three years before being released in 2011. He took a career best seven wickets in both innings at Wheal Eliza this week to end with match figures of 14 for 108.

Remarkably it was Shropshire‘s first win in Cornwall since the 35 run success at Falmouth in 1992. There have been eight attempts since before this week and the last five were all straight defeats since 2000.

Needing only 92 to win, the Midlanders knocked off the runs for the loss of four wickets, just before 7pm on Monday evening.

Cornwall elected to bat but were bowled out for 188 on the opening day. Christian Purchase hit seven sixes before lunch but was out shortly after for 83. The visitors replied with exactly 300 all out just before lunch on the second day.

Neil Ivamy had a reoccurrence to his leg injury and was unable to take the field in Shropshire’s second innings. In their second knock Cornwall skipper Matt Robins desperate run with the bat continued as he was lbw to Sanderson to the second ball of the innings.

Cornwall slid to 73 for 6 and still needed 39 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Paul Smith, with 38 runs, and Kelvin Snell, who hit three sixes in his 40, ensured that the visitors would bat again. They put on 66 for the seventh wicket.

Shakil Ahmed hit seven fours in his 36 as the total ended on 203.

Cornwall are next in action a week on Sunday when Herefordshire visit Truro.

SCORES St Austell – Cornwall 188 (CBF Purchase 83, T Williams 26; BW Sanderson 7-57, RCJ Aucott 3-44) & 203 (KJ Snell 40, PS Smith 38, Shakil Ahmed 36, TPS Hughes 34; BW Sanderson 7-51), Shropshire 300 (SG Leach 72, JT Ralph 50, R Lockley 43, J Carrasco 32; KJ Snell 3-37, AG Smeeth 3-60, N Ivamy 3-74) & 92-4 (JT Ralph 33, R Clarke 30; CJ Wilson 3-25). Shropshire (23pts) beat Cornwall (5pts) by six wickets.