Oswestry have been restored to the top flight of Shropshire cricket.

The Morda Road club were relegated for a second successive season following a disastrous 2022 campaign.

However the club has now been reinstated to the premier division of the Mansfield Sports Group Shropshire League following a late appeal by Bridgnorth against their second XI’s promotion from division one.

Oswestry won a vote-off against Bomere Heath, who finished third in division one, to take Bridgnorth's place.

Bridgnorth IIs finished runners-up in division one last season while Oswestry were relegated in the Premier’s 10th place because of Wem’s relegation from the Birmingham League.

That decision has now been reversed following Bridgnorth’s appeal against their elevation.

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There were two reasons for Bridgnorth’s request to remain in division one.

Firstly the club confirmed it has lost players to other clubs owing to “financial incentives elsewhere” and that “a potentially weakened side in the premier division would damage the credibility of the SCCL”.

Secondly the club also claim that because league rules prohibit those who play premier division on a Saturday from performing for their fourth XI in the Sunday section the following day, they might lose junior players to other clubs in order to be able to play two games in a weekend.

A league spokesman said: "The league committee took the view that – as Bridgnorth acknowledge – they had been aware that the club would be losing players ahead of the decision to promote the side, but had promoted them owing to their second-placed finish as per normal procedures.

"However in view of Bridgnorth’s hitherto-unvoiced concerns over the potential loss of their junior players, the committee voted to reverse their decision.

However the committee opted to punish Bridgnorth Cricket Club for their late appeal and the club's second string has been barred from any promotion they might gain from the 2023 season.