DORSET 435-2 & 210-7 (8pts) lost to SHROPSHIRE 261 & 385-5 (18pts) by five wickets

DORSET were sensationally beaten by Shropshire in an incredible Durant National Counties Championship clash at Wimborne.

In a match featuring two double-centuries and two further tons, Shropshire pulled off a staggering chase of 385-5 to stun Dorset, who blasted 435-2 in their first innings.

What transpired on day one will live long in the memory for Dorset supporters, staff and players alike.

The hosts had been reduced to 20-2 when openers Jacob Gordon (3) and Luke Webb (14) departed.

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Their dismissals brought David Scott and Sam Young together and the duo set about making history.

Young batted for five hours and 20 minutes, Scott seven minutes longer, and shared a quite staggering unbroken 415 for the third wicket.

Young bagged a scarcely believable 217 not out from 240 balls, having hit 14 fours and seven sixes.

Scott was not far behind, ending unbeaten on 183 from 246 balls, including 15 boundaries.

All kinds of records were broken.

Their quadruple-hundred stand was the second-highest in National Counties history, and Dorset’s highest-ever for any wicket.

It was also the largest partnership ever witnessed at Wimborne, with Shropshire understandably delighted the pair could only bat until the 90-over mark.

The gravity of their stand told when Shropshire could only amass 261 in response, only 44 more than Young himself.

Their innings was a mixed affair with former Wimborne seamer Ed Bartlett, now of New Milton in the ECB Premier League, taking 6-53 on his old stomping ground.

He bowled beautifully during his 24 overs, including seven maidens, and going at only 2.21 runs per over with one of his victims being the former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell (0).

However, he could not dislodge opener George Hargrave who battled his way to a fine 115 from 183 balls, chalking up 14 boundaries and a six.

Midway through day two, Dorset chose to breeze along at five-per-over with a declaration in mind towards the end of the day.

Jacob Gordon (58) and Alex Eckland (46) were the top scorers as Dorset reached 210-7, with Scott (30) and Young (2) understandably failing to live up to their lofty achievements of the previous day.

Dorset skipper Webb then called his batters in, setting Shropshire a whopping 385 to win.

The target seemed delicately poised given the weight of runs scored in such a short space of time, and Shropshire coasted along to 35-0 by the close, crucially without losing a wicket.

On day three, Dorset were made to toil as Hargrave once more built a massive innings.

He partnered another former Worcestershire batter, Olly Westbury (48), in a 131-run stand for the opening wicket before Joe Huns (1-44) made the breakthrough by having Westbury caught behind.

Yet Hargrave was in no mood to relinquish hopes of a storming victory and powered past 182, the highest-ever individual score by a Shropshire batter in the NCCA Championship.

He went on to blast three fours off a Toby Pattemore over in bringing up his double-century, only to fall for 201 two balls later, offering a return catch to Scott (2-107).

Crucially, Fell had serenely gathered his way to a half-century and was able to take up the baton from 296-2.

He shared 51 with Andre Bradford (7) before the latter was run out 38 runs short of victory.

Dorset sensed a late twist in the tale as Scott effected a run out and bowled Jack Home (1), before Gordon removed Peter Clark (1).

But Fell (103no) kept calm under the pressure hit a four to register his own century and win one of the most remarkable games ever to grace the National Counties.