Cornwall face a long trip north tonight in readiness for tomorrow's Minor Counties Championship game with Shropshire at Whitchurch.

There is a certain irony in that Whitchurch is where Cheshire clinched the western title on the final day of last season. Cornwall's game with Wales at Pontarddulais was washed out but the Duchy were still top of the table until 4pm, when Cheshire completed a successful run chase at Heath Road to snatch the title.

Cornwall travel in the knowledge that this season's championship is wide open at the halfway mark. Berkshire, who visit Truro in the final round of games, have won two matches to date to lead the table by 13 points.

Cornwall and Shropshire are among seven teams with a victory apiece and are covered by just ten points.

Shropshire won't be easy opposition however, having recruited former Surrey batsman Chris Murtagh, who announced himself with a century in the opening win against Wiltshire.

He followed up with 74 and 102 against Dorset, whose last pair hung on for a tense draw.

In the last game against Oxfordshire, at Great & Little Tew, there was another dramatic finale with the home side's last pair putting on 19 to win the game.

Shropshire skipper Ed Foster has also been in good form with the bat. Along with Murtagh he is also averaging 90 in the championship this year, having hit two centuries and two fifties in six innings.

Cornwall's recent record has been good against the Midlands county. They didn't meet last year but won all three previous encounters, including the last visit three seasons ago. That was played in the height of the 'monsoons' in 2007 when somehow a one-day game was salvaged on the third day at Shifnal, with Cornwall winning by one wicket on a day 19 wickets fell for 171 runs.

Cornwall will be encouraged by their batting against Wiltshire at Corsham last time out when Dan Davis, Tom Sharp and David Roberts all hit centuries, a feat only achieved once before in a game by Cornwall. The game ended as a draw with the 1,324 runs in the match. Cornwall have named a 12-man squad with the same eleven that were on duty at Corsham with the addition of Alex Smeeth.

Cornwall (from): T Sharp (Capt) (Truro), D Roberts (St Just), M Robins (Callington), D Davis (Callington), K Parsons (Taunton St Andrews), G Thomas (St Just), C Hunkin (Grampound Road), M Horwell (wk) (Werrington) S Hockin (Werrington), R Harrison (Callington), N Ivamy (Redruth), A Smeeth (Werrington).