FOUR Herefordshire-based players are included in the North Midlands who prepare for their crunch National Under-20 County Championship group match with a friendly against Cheshire at Shrewsbury on Sunday, January 20 (2pm).

North Midlands need to beat Gloucestershire at Cinderford on February 10 to have any hope of progressing to the national quarter-finals having beaten East Midlands but suffered a narrow defeat to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire in their two group matches to date.

Owen Davies (Luctonians) is missing but Jake Newman (Luctonians) and the Hereford pair of James Parker and Elliott Ford have been called up to join anither Hereford player, Oliver Cross, in the squad.