WILTSHIRE were frustrated by the weather but their bowlers still made a bold bid for victory on the second day of their Minor Counties Championship match at Corsham.

Visitors Shropshire, second in the table and unbeaten in the championship this season, were on the rack and facing an innings defeat when rain, bad light and a soaked outfield caused play to be halted early for the second day in a row.

Chasing Wiltshire's excellent opening day score of 347-7 off 90 overs, Shropshire were 26-3 in their second innings off 12 overs and still 184 runs adrift going into the third and final day, having been bowled out in their first innings for only 137.

Shropshire resumed yesterday morning after a 20- minute delay on 10-1 and made steady progress to reached 110-3 at lunch, with opening batsman Martin scoring 41.

After the interval Wiltshire's bowlers struck decisively, and turned the match completely in their favour.

In the five overs that were possible before rain fell again, resulting in a three-hour delay, the visitors only added 12 runs and lost four wickets Chippenham's Jason Searle taking three of them in 3.4 overs for only three runs.

When play did resume with the visitors on 122-7 off 33 overs, Wiltshire quickly mopped up the two remaining wickets for 15 runs.

Shropshire could only field 10 batsmen as one player had been forced to return home owing to a family bereavement.

Searle finished with the excellent figures of 7-2-12-3 and Corsham all-rounder Richard Foley, who mopped up the tail, 3.5-2-5-2.

Wiltshire took the four maximum bowling points to add to the four batting points, and, with a big lead of 217 runs, not surprisingly enforced the follow-on.

In the 11.4 overs that were possible in Shropshire's second innings before play was curtailed for the day, Wiltshire struck superbly as opening bowlers Nash and Bedbrook snapped up three wickets to reduce the visitors to a disastrous 26-3.

Scores: Wilts 347-7 (Hibberd 118no, Blackburn 60, Rizvi 56); Shropshire 137 (Searle 3-12, Foley 2-5) and 26-3. Wilts lead by 184 runs.