Norfolk will be missing Ben Wilcox, who played a match-winning innings in last season’s National Counties T20 final, when they begin their title defence with a double-header against Lincolnshire at Sprowston on Sunday.

Wilcox made 73 to help Norfolk to a 12 runs victory over Dorset in the showpiece at Wormsley and also deputised as captain as Sam Arthurton was ruled out of Finals Day by an ankle injury.

But Wilcox, who made 94 not out in last week’s Trophy victory over Bedfordshire, is unavailable this weekend along with his younger brother Arthur and seamer Brett Stolworthy so Norfolk will face Lincolnshire with four changes to the side that defeated Dorset.

Arthurton is back as captain and in excellent form having made a record seventh career NV Play National Counties Trophy century earlier this month.

Joe Everett and slow left-armer Joe Flatt are called up for their seasonal debuts having recovered from back and shoulder injuries respectively.

But seamer Nathan Muggeridge, who has been a key performer in their four-match unbeaten run in 50 overs cricket, is ruled out by a foot injury.

Lincolnshire, who were beaten by Norfolk in the Trophy at Woodhall Spa two weeks ago, have called up George Woods and Matt Mills for their first appearances of the season.

Seamer Sam Davis will have his first outing for Hertfordshire in eight years against Cambridgeshire in the other Group Two match at the West Herts club in Watford.

Nafis Shaikh is called up for his seasonal debut as Hertfordshire look to bounce back from a winless Trophy campaign.

Cambridgeshire give a debut to Sawston & Babraham batter Ralph Hayward with Yousuf Choudhary and Reuben Thain making their seasonal bows.

Berkshire host Oxfordshire at Wargrave in Group Three and have added off-spinner Sully Akhtar to the side that beat Wiltshire by one wicket last week to sneak into the Trophy quarter-finals.

Johnny Connell leads the side in a competitive match for the first time fresh from battering Sussex’s first-choice attack for a 44-ball century in a Showcase T20 match on Wednesday.

Former Sussex batter Zach Lion-Cachet takes over Oxfordshire’s captaincy from Harrison Ward who is on Vitality Blast duty with Sussex.

Former Sussex all-rounder Archie Lenham returns having missed two Trophy matches and Harrison Parker, a left-arm spinner from Derbyshire, is a likely debutant. 

Former Berkshire all-rounder Rhodri Lewis will captain Wales NC for the first time against Bedfordshire in their double-header at the Sudbrook club in Caldicot.

Glamorgan batter Billy Root, the younger brother of England’s Joe, is set for his competitive debut for Wales having played for them in two Showcase T20 matches against Gloucestershire last year.

Root, who has previous National Counties experience with Suffolk, is one of five contracted Glamorgan players in Wales’ squad alongside Romano Franco, Henry Hurle, Jack Hope-Bell and Callum Nicholls.

Bedfordshire have called up Scotland Under-19s batter/wicketkeeper Theo Robinson for his National Counties debut.

Dorset, beaten finalists last season, begin their campaign with a trip to Eastnor to face Herefordshire in Group Four.

Will Tripcony will captain a side that includes six more survivors from that final, with Bournemouth seamer James Brehaut a potential debutant.

Herefordshire are missing wicketkeeper Luke Powell, an ever-present in all three formats for three seasons.

Powell suffered a knee ligament injury in last weekend’s friendly against MCC so Glynn Gunston will take over behind the stumps against Dorset.

Former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes is unavailable due to work commitments but Olly Cox makes his first appearance of the season alongside his younger brother Joel, an Exeter University all-rounder who has yet to play National Counties cricket.

Batter Cyrus Shafi, who played for Herefordshire last season, will make his competitive debut for Wiltshire against Devon at the North Devon club in Instow.

Shafi played for Wiltshire in their Showcase T20 match against Glamorgan at Swindon last week and comes into Sunday’s squad along with another newcomer, Oxford UCCE seamer Sam Freestone.

Freestone has impressed for the students – who are captained by Wiltshire batter Tom Cheater – this season and is now in line for a National Counties debut.

Devon give T20 debuts to seamers Craig Penberthy and James Matravers with Rhys Davies making his first appearance of the season.

Ben Privett has recovered from a foot injury but captain Lawrence Walker is ruled out by a broken thumb so Callum Harvey will again lead the side.

Staffordshire and Northumberland will meet for the second time this season with Staffordshire, who won the Trophy match at Jesmond two weeks ago, having home advantage for the re-match at Stone.

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Nils Priestley makes his first appearance of the season for Staffordshire with pace bowler Sam Keeling-Wright returning from trialling with Northamptonshire.

Derbyshire Academy batter Niall McHale, a product of Staffordshire’s youth system, is set for his second senior outing for the county having made his debut in a three-day match last summer.

Former Durham batter Jack Burnham will make his T20 debut for Northumberland and Sean Tindale his first appearance since last season’s defeat by Dorset in the semi-finals at Wormsley.

Former Staffordshire slow left-armer Anis Raza has been included in Shropshire’s squad against Cheshire at Didsbury.

Raza, who plays his club cricket for Leek, is one of four newcomers with Shifnal seamer Imran Tariq and Wellington pair Ollie Smith and Morgan Ward all National Counties debutants.

Oulton Park off-spinner Andy Dufty is in Cheshire’s squad for the first time this season with Gennaro Reddy given his competitive T20 debut following a half-century in Wednesday’s Showcase match against Derbyshire.

Seamer Alex Young will be in familiar surroundings for his own T20 debut as he plays his club cricket for Didsbury.

National Counties T20

Sunday May 24 (11am)

Group One

Didsbury: Cheshire v Shropshire. Stone: Staffordshire v Northumberland.

Group Two

West Herts CC: Hertfordshire v Cambridgeshire. Sprowston: Norfolk v Lincolnshire.

Group Three

Sudbrook: Wales NC v Bedfordshire. Wargrave: Berkshire v Oxfordshire.

Group Four

Instow: Devon v Wiltshire. Eastnor: Herefordshire v Dorset.