HAMPSHIRE bid to avoid their first-ever defeat by a minor counties side when they travel to Shropshire in the first round of the C & G Trophy tomorrow.

There have only been 11 occasions in the history of the 42-years of the competition when a Minor Counties side has toppled first-class opposition.

The last time was in 2001 when Hertfordshire defeated Middlesex.

One of the most famous upsets in English cricket's premier one-day competition came at Shropshire in 1984 when a Yorkshire side containing the likes of Geoff Boycott, Martin Moxon and David Bairstow were humbled by 37 runs.

Former Coventry City goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic played for the Minor Counties XI that day but it was Pakistan overseas professional Mushtaq Mohammad who starred with 80 and 3-26 off 12 overs.

Also in the Shropshire side was 39-year-old veteran seamer Malcolm Nash. The man who was famously hit for six sixes in one over by Sir Garfield Sobers returned figures of 12-6-16-1 to earn his place in Minor Counties folklore.

The 2005 Shropshire side contains less well-known names for Hampshire's visit to Whitchurch.

Indeed, only two players have appeared in county cricket - former Yorkshire batsman Gary Fellows and ex-Worcestershire batsman Duncan Catterell. Fellows will make his Shropshire debut having only signed during the winter.

Another former Tyke, off-spinner Andy Gray, was originally in Shropshire's squad but he has now been registered with Derbyshire.

Fellows might have done less on the cricket field than Shane Warne, Simon Katich, Kevin Pietersen and John Crawley - but he has something none of that famous four have.

And that's a county championship First Division winners medal, for the all-rounder (right-hand bat, right-arm medium pace) played 12 matches in 2001 when Yorkshire won the four-day league.

In 48 first class matches and 74 innings for the Tykes, Fellows averaged 23.41 with the bat, scoring a century and six fifties. He also took 32 wickets at 38.37

In 95 one-dayers he scored 1342 runs at 20.96 with six half-centuries and took 22 wickets at 38.00.

Ex-Worcestershire batsman Duncan Catterell is the only other Shropshire player with county championship experience.

He played three championship matches six years ago, scoring 60 against both Essex and Middlesex, but only played against the touring West Indies in 2000 and was released at the end of that season.

Loughborough University pair Ed Foster (opening bat) and Nick Clewly (opening bowler) are both unavailable, so the hosts bring in young left-armer Mark Robinson, who had been due to play for Glamorgan 2nds tomorrow.

Shropshire's top batsman is undoubtedly James Ralph, who scored 89 for the county when they lost to the Hampshire Cricket Board, who included current Rose Bowl staffer Lawrie Prittipaul, by just one run in the NatWest Trophy in 1999.

The following year he scored an unbeaten 102 as Shropshire, asked to chase 263 for victory against Somerset, replied with 235-9.

He also top scored with 38 when Shropshire were bowled out for 119 by Warwickshire last year on their way to a seven-wicket loss at Edgbaston.

Ralph played one first class game for Worcestershire in 1996 against South Africa A, a game he 'celebrated' with a pair.

Shropshire (from): Guy Home, Duncan Catterall, Gary Fellows, James Ralph, Matthew Tilt, Chris Martin, Jono Whitney, Mark Downes, Anthony O'Connor, Jonty Mountford, Duncan Bowett, Mark Robinson.