NATIONAL COUNTIES Championship preview
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 24 July 2022 07:26
- Last Updated on Sunday, 24 July 2022 08:00
- Published on Sunday, 24 July 2022 07:26
- Written by PAUL BOLTON National Counties Cricket correspondent
Wales NC today take a three-day match to Panteg CC in Griffithstown for the first time having switched their Western Division Two match against Wiltshire from Usk.Wales have previously used Panteg for white ball matches and the ground was used as a home venue by Monmouthshire in the Minor Counties Championship, the last time in 1932.
Experienced seamer Aneurin Norman goes into the match needing two wickets to reach the 100 career milestone although he will first have to pass a fitness test by playing club cricket for Mumbles.
Batter Connor Brown, another former Glamorgan player, has recovered from an ankle injury and all-rounder Brad Wadlan, who leads the National Counties Championship Most Valuable Player Rankings, has been excused coaching duties with Wales Under-18s in the hope that he can keep the senior side on course for promotion.
Bangor seamer Owen Reilly has been called up for his Wales debut and Pentyrch all-rounder Todd Wilcox, whose only previous appearance came eight years ago, has also been named in the squad.
Wiltshire include left-arm spinner Jake Lintott who will make his first Championship appearance in three years as he is not required by Warwickshire this weekend.
Josh Croom, Ben Draper, Jack Mynott and Will Naish are also named in a much-changed side to the one that beat Shropshire three weeks ago.
Former Glamorgan all-rounder Graham Wagg leads Shropshire against Cornwall at St Austell as Sam Whitney, the county’s red ball captain, is unavailable this weekend.
Batter David Laird has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the win over Wales NC but Shropshire can include pace bowler Ben Parker for the first time this season alongside his Worcestershire Academy team-mates, batter Jack Home and off-spinner Joe Stanley, who will make their debuts.
Cornwall welcome back batter Joe Phillips, who made 250 not out for Gloucestershire’s Second XI against Essex at Colchester earlier in the week.
Slow left-armer Max Tryfonos is set for his first Championship match for Cornwall having made his debut in the competition for Herefordshire last season.
Christian Purchase has also been recalled for his first Championship appearance in three years with Ateeq Javid, Karl Leathley and Adam Snowdon dropping out from the side beaten by Devon.
Scotland international slow left-armer Ollie Davidson will make his debut for Herefordshire in their National Counties Championship Western Division One match against Cheshire which starts at Brockhampton tomorrow.
Davidson, who celebrates his 18th birthday next Thursday, made his One Day International debut for Scotland in their World Cricket League Two defeat by UAE in Texas last month
He will now make his first county appearance for Herefordshire alongside his elder brother Jasper as Herefordshire go in search of victory in their second and final home Championship match of the season.
Herefordshire also have Worcestershire Academy batter Henry Cullen, who missed the defeat by Oxfordshire, available this weekend.
Bradford/Leeds UCCE batter Ali Chughtai, who plays his club cricket for Widnes, will make his debut for Cheshire with Oulton Park seamer Andy Dufty called up for his first Championship appearance having featured in white ball cricket this season.
Oxfordshire head to Finchampstead to play Berkshire, the side they deposed as Western Division and overall champions last year.
Sussex left-hander Harrison Ward is available to make his first Championship appearance in four years for Oxfordshire, his native county.
Batter Jamie Harrison and captain Jonny Cater, who missed the wins over Cheshire and Herefordshire, both return.
Berkshire are missing in-form opening batter Savin Perera because of injury so Johnny Connell will make his Championship debut.
There is a National Counties debut for batter Daniel O’Driscoll, who is on Middlesex’s books, with seamer Tom Nugent and slow left-armer Luke Beaven replacing Josh Lincoln and Jafer Chohan in the squad that beat Dorset two weeks ago.
FREE TO SEE National Counties Championship
July 24-26 (11am)
Eastern Division One
Leek: Staffordshire v Norfolk, Grantham: Lincolnshire v Bedfordshire
Western Division One
Finchampstead: Berkshire v Oxfordshire, Brockhampton: Herefordshire v Cheshire
Eastern Division Two
Chesham: Buckinghamshire v Cumbria, Peterborough: Cambridgeshire v Northumberland.
Western Division Two
St Austell: Cornwall v Shropshire, Panteg: Wales NC v Wiltshire
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