SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
DEVON were reminded how costly it is to drop catches on a miserable day all-round at Instow against Shropshire.
The wet weather probably had something to do with the fumbling fingers, but too many chances went down and one of them proved costly.
Rob Newman dropped Atiq-ur-Rehman on 30 and the Lahore-born batsman, who has had trials for Somerset in the past, made them pay in a big way.
Rehman wrote himself an indelible place in the Shropshire record books by hitting an unbeaten 158 in the team's 90-over total of 348 for nine.
Reham isn't the first Shropshire player to score 150-plus, but he is the first to do it in successive games.
In Shropshire's last game against Wales, a drawn affair at Abergavenny, Rehman clubbed 175.
Rain was never far away from the seaside ground at Instow, and caused two delays and an early finish.
Shropshire found the going tough at first as they laboured to 67 for three before lunch against miserly bowling from Devon seamer Ian Bishop.
A stand of 127 between Rob Foster and Rehmam put Shropshire in the driving seat and took the score up to 193 for four when Foster was caught at slip off Trevor Anning.
Bishop had already accounted for Ed Foster, lbw, and John Maunders, caught at slip, then Jack Shantry plumb in front.
Plymouth left-armer David Burke didn't have any luck at all in his nine overs with the new ball, finishing wicketless for 42 runs conceded.
Rehman kept on going until the end, enjoying useful stands of 60 wigth Ben Thomason, who made a bright and breezy 23, and 49 late in the day alongside tail-ender Adam Shimmons.
Rehman took 107 balls to reach his first 50, went to his century at run-a-ball pace and slammed his third 50 off just 18 balls. His final tally in boundaries was 14 fours and three sixes.
Devon spinner James Hudson was the bowler to suffer most: his 16 overs cost 97 runs and one of them went for 20.
Highlights in the field were few and far between for Devon. Josh Bess's low catch a mid-off to dismiss Jamie Ralph was harder than it looked as the ball was plucked from bootlace height.
Keeper Sandy Allen had a competent stint behind the timbers, claiming two stumpings to help Newman bag three for 47 when the slog was on.
Shropshire paceman Steve Taylor had marked out his run and was poised to deliver the first ball of the Devon innings when a sea squall swept over the ground and the game was abandoned for the day.
Shropshire 348-9 (A Rehman 158no, R J Foster 67; R J Newman 3-47, I E Bishop 4-82). Rain stopped play. Devon (4pts), Shropshire (4).