Cornwall slugged it out with Shropshire yesterday and the Minor Counties Championship match is evenly balanced going into the final day at Whitchurch.

On another day of interruptions, rain brought about an early close at 5.40pm by which time the hosts were 144 for two in their second innings for an overall lead of 94. Rob Foster remains unbeaten on 43 alongside the dangerous Chris Murtagh who is on four.

Resuming on 84 for three in reply to Shropshire's first-innings total of 252, Cornwall made steady progress and had advanced to 164 before losing their fourth wicket, Dan Davis departing for 48 after facing 94 deliveries and cracking nine fours. The Callington star was caught off an Andy Gray delivery having occupied the crease for over 90 minutes.

However, Keith Parsons was still going great guns while wickets fell at regular intervals, and he had taken his score from an overnight 30 to 70 by the time he became one of three victims for Rob Foster, caught by Dan Bowen after also hitting nine fours and frustrating the home bowlers for the best part of three hours.

Earlier, Skipper Tom Sharp had progressed to 24 before being clean bowled by Gray and three of Cornwall's middle order – Chris Hunkin, Alex Smeeth and Sam Hockin – made it into double figures before departing. Smeeth and Hunkin put on 33 after lunch before departing in successive balls. The innings closed on 252 for a lead of 50 with the spinners Gray and Foster getting some help from the pitch. Cornwall might yet rue the 13 overs they didn't use.

In their second innings, Shropshire lost Alex Huxley with 30 on the board, David Roberts taking the catch off a Sharp delivery.

Opener Ed Foster was the next to go, trapped lbw by Redruth spinner Neil Ivamy for 43 with the score on 64, but the hosts survived without further loss until the early close by which time they had established their useful lead on which to build this morning.

Devon's hopes of wrapping up victory over Wiltshire with a day to spare were thwarted by some dogged tail-end batting at Exmouth.

Wiltshire, 67 runs behind on first innings, were 208 for eight when rain stopped play with half an hour to go last night.

Tail-enders Andy Sutton and Adam Miles were blocking for all they were worth and during one 10-over spell , Wiltshire scored a grand total of five runs.