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The new National Counties season is only a week old but some of the 20 sides already face a make-or-break weekend in the NV Play National Counties Trophy.

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.

Former Durham batter Jack Burnham will make his first appearances for Northumberland in five years in their Group Two matches against Norfolk at Sprowston on Sunday and Lincolnshire at Bracebridge Heath on Monday. Chester-le-Street seamer Brett Hutchison has also been included in the squad for both matches and will make his county debut. Lincolnshire head to Dunstable to face Bedfordshire for their first match on Sunday and have included two debutants, Amartya Kaul and Eckington seamer Jake Ludlam, in their squad. Kaul will be in familiar surroundings on Monday as he plays his club cricket for Bracebridge Heath. Burghley Park batter James Laud, who played in one NCCA Cluberly Championship match last season, will make his debut in the 50 overs competition.

Bedfordshire have called up wicketkeeper/batter Matt Taylor and slow left-armer Archie Houghton in the two changes to the side beaten by Northumberland last week. They are also at home on Monday when Staffordshire, who were heavily beaten by Norfolk last week, visit Ampthill. Staffordshire have called up Stone SP spinner Jack Batchelor to replace Joe Hawkins, who was left out of the side last week, in the only change to their squad.

Norfolk have added experienced seamers Andy Handby and Brett Stolworthy to the side that beat Staffordshire for Sunday’s match against Northumberland, which is their only game of the weekend.

Suffolk open their season with away games in Group One against Cheshire at Toft on Sunday and Cumbria at Furness on Monday. Suffolk are missing former Essex batter Feroze Khushi due to a family bereavement, the injured Matt Wareing and Tom Harper and the unavailable Dan Shanks and Belize international batter Alex Oxley. Former Kent seamer Arafat Bhuiyan, who featured in T20 cricket last season, will make his Trophy debut with slow left-armer Freddie Heldreich, back with Suffolk having been released by Northamptonshire, and Archie Jones, fresh from making a century for Bury St Edmunds, in the squad.

Cheshire have added Will Valentine, Andy Jackson, former Leicestershire and Northamptonshire paceman Mike Finan and Alderley Edge leg-spinner Gennaro Reddy to the side that beat Cambridgeshire. Reddy, who has Second XI experience with Lancashire is set to make his debut. Cumbria have kept faith with the same 12-man squad that was on duty for last week’s victory over Shropshire. Shropshire are at home again on Sunday with Cambridgeshire the visitors to Shifnal before they hop over the county border to face Cheshire at Oxton on Monday.

Shifnal proved to be a lucky venue for Shropshire last season as they won three times at Priorslee Road on their way to the Trophy final. Shrewsbury left-arm spinner Lewis Evans and Worfield seamer Ravan Chahal are called up by Shropshire with Matt Simmonds and Clark Haddrell making way. Cambridgeshire include former Glamorgan batter Tom Cullen, their new senior professional, in a much-changed side for the trip to Shifnal.

Dan Andrews, Matt Rees and Mark Saunders also come into the squad in the other changes to the side beaten by Cheshire.

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.

NV Play National Counties Trophy

May 3 (11am)
Group One: Cheshire v Suffolk (Toft), Shropshire v Cambridgeshire (Shifnal).
Group Two: Bedfordshire v Lincolnshire (Dunstable), Norfolk v Northumberland (Sprowston).
Group Three: Berkshire v Devon (Falkland CC, Newbury), Herefordshire v Wiltshire (Colwall).
Group Four: Dorset v Wales NC (Wimborne), Oxfordshire v Buckinghamshire (Thame).

May 4 (11am)
Group One: Cumbria v Suffolk (Furness CC, Barrow), Cheshire v Shropshire (Oxton).
Group Two: Bedfordshire v Staffordshire (Ampthill), Lincolnshire v Northumberland (Bracebridge Heath).
Group Three: Herefordshire v Hertfordshire (Brockhampton), Wiltshire v Devon (Warminster).
Group Four: Cornwall v Wales NC (Wadebridge), Oxfordshire v Dorset (St Edward’s School, Oxford).