HEREFORDSHIRE were forced to settle for a draw in their opening Minor Counties Championship fixture at Colwall after a dogged rearguard action by Wiltshire.

With nine overs remaining and just one wicket to take, Herefordshire looked set for victory but Wiltshire skipper Russell Rowe, who was battling the effects of a virus which prevented him from fielding for most of the match, and Paul Clifford clung on.

Going in as last man, Rowe made 18 not out but Clifford was virtually strokeless during his 45 minutes at the crease and survived 45 balls for just two runs.

The last day of the three-day fixture had seen fortunes swing both ways with victory possible for either side at various points in the proceedings.

With Wiltshire chasing an apparently improbable 394 to win, Herefordshire had made a great start by reducing the visitors to 22-3 before Baqar Rizvi (81) and Michael Coles (90) staged a recovery with a fourth-wicket stand of 155. When Richard Bates (48) and Richard Bedbrook (44) took the score to 300-5, a Wiltshire victory seemed on the cards, but Herefordshire fought back once again, taking four wickets for just three runs to set up the exciting finish.

Herefordshire's bowling hero was seamer Simon Roberts whose second innings figures of 6-90, added to a first innings return of 5-86, brought him not only his own first 10-wicket match haul but the best figures by a Herefordshire bowler against Wiltshire and the best at Colwall.

When Herefordshire batted first, their innings was dominated by Rob Hughes who made 99 before being caught at mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Bates.

Hughes completed another half-century in the second innings, during which he became the fifth Hereford-shire player to pass the 2,000-run mark for the county.

Wicket-keeper Ismail Daw-ood also produced some attractive strokeplay as he passed 50 twice in the match but the best batting in the second innings came from opener Richard Hall.

The Barnt Green left-hander caned five sixes and 20 fours as he raced to 162 from just 168 balls, completing his first century for Herefordshire and notching the highest score by one of the county's batsmen at Colwall.

Herefordshire are next in action on Sunday, June 6 when they take on Shropshire at Colwall in the first round of the MCCA Trophy.