COUNTIES CRICKET Bank holiday team news
- Details
- Created on Friday, 01 May 2026 19:00
- Last Updated on Friday, 01 May 2026 19:57
- Published on Friday, 01 May 2026 19:00
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
All counties will be in action at least once over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend with matches on both Sunday and Monday.
Twelve of those counties will play on both days with Cheshire, Bedfordshire, Northumberland, Devon, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Wales NC and holders Dorset who all played in last weekend’s opening round of games, among them.
Dorset, who opened their title defence with a thumping win over Cornwall, return to The Leaze to face Wales on Sunday before heading to Oxford to face Oxfordshire at St Edward’s School on Monday in Group Four.
Slow left-armer Connor Smith, who was unavailable last weekend, returns to face Wales.
Oxfordshire begin their Trophy campaign with another home match, against Buckinghamshire at Thame, on Sunday.
Oxfordshire will be captained by Sussex batter Harrison Ward who will be in familiar surroundings against Dorset on Monday as St Edward’s is his old school.
Oxfordshire’s squad for the weekend also includes three players who were released by first-class counties at the end of last season in Tom Hinley (Worcestershire) and Archie Lenham and Zach Lion-Cachet (both Sussex).
Horspath batter Sravan Konidena, a product of Berkshire’s pathway programme, is a potential National Counties debutant.
Wales, who also face Cornwall at Wadebridge on Monday, are without the five-strong contingent of contracted Glamorgan players who featured in the narrow defeat by Buckinghamshire for both of their matches.
But opening batter Cam Hemp has returned after two seasons with Buckinghamshire and former Nottinghamshire batter Sam King, who has previous National Counties experience with Norfolk, has been recruited.
Sami Khan, Mathew Ryan and Zac Williams also come into the squad with Rhodri Lewis set to lead the side on Monday in place of the unavailable Brad Wadlan.
Devon will be without Sam Read, who shone with bat and ball in last Sunday’s victory over Herefordshire, for Sunday’s Group Three match against Berkshire at the Falkland club in Newbury.
Read returns for Monday’s match against Wiltshire at Warminster with Jamie Stephens taking his place against Berkshire.
Seamers Kazi Szymanski and Charlie Ward are ruled out both matches by injury but George Greenway, an England disability international, is available and Exeter left-armer Josh Knott has also been called up.
Berkshire, who beat Hertfordshire in a high-scoring contest last week, have named an unchanged squad for Devon’s visit.
Wiltshire will make one change to their side on Monday with Archie Pascoe coming in for William Brown.
Herefordshire will enjoy home comforts for both of their weekend matches as they host Wiltshire at Colwall on Sunday and Hertfordshire at Brockhampton on Monday.
But they will be missing former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes for both days.
Henry Cullen, a member of Worcestershire’s Metro Bank-winning side last season will face Wiltshire with Taylor Cornall, another former Worcestershire batter, called up for Monday.
Former Wales batter Harry Friend is in line to make his Herefordshire debut along with Worcestershire Academy seamer Jeet Varaich.
Ollie Rogoff, Ben Clarke and Ben Clements are the other additions to the squad.
Cambridgeshire include former Glamorgan batter Tom Cullen, their new senior professional, in a much-changed side for the trip to face Shropshire at Shifnal.
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