National Counties T20 2024 Preview - Week 2

The 20 National Counties will be hoping for a significant improvement in the weather over the Bank Holiday weekend as they try to secure a place in the new Super 12 stage of the T20 competition.

Just four of the 20 scheduled matches in the opening round last Sunday produced positive results with 15 complete washouts and one no result.

This weekend there are double-headers for all counties on both Sunday and Monday which will determine the eight to be eliminated from the competition. The top two sides from each group plus the two best third-placed counties will progress to the Super 12 stage on May 19.

Herefordshire’s double over Wales NC at Llandysul last Sunday has given them the early advantage in Group Four ahead of their double-headers against Shropshire at Oswestry on Sunday and Oxfordshire at Brockhampton on Monday.

Former Worcestershire and Lancashire batter Taylor Cornall will make his National Counties debut for Herefordshire at Brockhampton along with Ombersley seamer Josh Holling. Olly Walker is unavailable on Monday as he is on duty with Worcestershire Second XI.

Oxfordshire will be missing Jack Brooks, the former Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Somerset seamer, who was scheduled to make his first competitive appearance for them in 15 years against Shropshire last week.

Brooks, who has signed to play T20 cricket only for Oxfordshire, is unavailable this weekend.

Having lost both matches against Herefordshire, Wales NC cannot afford further slip-ups against Oxfordshire at Wormsley on Sunday or Shropshire at St Asaph on Monday.

St Asaph’s Elwy Grove Park will be a new venue for National Counties cricket with the match being switched there from Brymbo where the ground is still recovering from the wet winter.

Having established a Wales NC North side two years ago and recently appointed former Hertfordshire batter Chris Stead as the first coach, Monday’s matches will be an important opportunity for Wales to promote cricket in the north of the country.

Wales have included Bridgend’s Joseph Davies, the son of former Glamorgan seamer Andrew, in their squad for a possible debut.

But Adam Sylvester, who impressed against Herefordshire, will miss Monday’s double-header as he has been called up by Kent’s Second XI and off-spinning all-rounder Tegid Phillips replaces the unavailable Morgan Bevans.

Shropshire will be missing former Worcestershire batter Olly Westbury and Shifnal all-rounder Jack Home on Monday with the Shrewsbury pair Peter Clark and Lewis Evans added to the squad.

Sprowston will be another new National Counties venue when the Barker’s Lane ground plays host to Norfolk’s Group Two double-header against Suffolk on Sunday.

The volunteers there will be hoping the weather is kinder to them than to their counterparts at Great Witchingham where both matches against Lincolnshire were washed out last weekend.

Norfolk have named the same 12-man squad that should have faced Lincolnshire for Sunday and Monday’s matches against Cambridgeshire at Exning which means that Josh Cobb and wicketkeeper Charlie Hood will make their debuts.

Cobb has joined Worcestershire on a white ball contract this season having won the Vitality Blast with both Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

Cobb’s former Northamptonshire team-mate, left-arm spinner Freddie Heldreich, has been included in Suffolk’s squad but Jack Beaumont is unavailable for Monday’s matches against Lincolnshire at Ipswich School because of work commitments.

Lincolnshire host Cambridgeshire at Bracebridge Heath on Sunday and have named a squad that includes two potential debutants in Balderton seamer Tom Shephard and former Huntingdonshire batter Matty Mills.

Former Suffolk batter Ben Claydon will make his delayed debut for Cambridgeshire on Sunday with three more debutants – former Staffordshire batter James Cox, Peterborough Town seamer Daniel Costello and all-rounder Kiel van Vollenhoven – added to Monday’s much-changed squad.

Batter Ben Seabrook, who spent last season with Cornwall, is in line to reappear for Cambridgeshire having been named in Monday’s squad.

Holders Staffordshire take county cricket to Burslem for the first time since 1937 for their double-headers against Northumberland on Sunday in Group One.

Ashcombe Park’s Anis Raza is added to the squad named for last week’s washed out matches against Cheshire at Checkley.

Jack Redman of Audley is added to the squad for Monday’s games against Cumbria at Carlisle as Tom Brett and Hishaam Khan are unavailable.

Northumberland have included former Durham and Ireland wicketkeeper/batter Stuart Poynter in their squad for Monday’s matches against Cheshire at Oxton. Poynter replaces Ross Whitfield, who will face Staffordshire but is unavailable on Monday.

Cumbria have again named Lancashire pair Steven Croft and Harry Singh in their squads to face Staffordshire and Cheshire at Toft on Sunday.

Kendal batter Evan William comes into the squad that was named to face Northumberland last week.

Cheshire welcome back seamer Michael Finan, who left Leicestershire at the end of last season, for Monday’s matches. Finan has spent the first month of the season with Northamptonshire on a short-term contract.

Worcestershire batter Kashif Ali will also be back playing for the county where he first came to prominence as he lines up for Bedfordshire against Hertfordshire at the West Herts club in Watford on Sunday and Berkshire at Ampthill on Sunday in Group Three.

Ali began the season by making his maiden first-class century in the first innings against Warwickshire at Edgbaston and followed up with his second hundred in the second innings.

Northamptonshire all-rounder Gus Miller is also in Bedfordshire’ squad for the Hertfordshire matches but he is not available on Monday.

Miller’s Northamptonshire team-mate Saif Zaib will also return to his cricketing roots with Buckinghamshire for their double-headers against Berkshire at the Falkland club in Newbury on Sunday and Hertfordshire at Beaconsfield on Sunday.

Former Kent batter Billy Mead could make his Buckinghamshire debut against his former county Berkshire with National Counties XI batter Cam Hemp also first appearance since his winter move from Wales NC.

Berkshire have included former Cornwall seamer Tommy Sturgess in their squad for the weekend double headers. Sturgess, a winter recruit, helped Northamptonshire’s Second XI to defeat Leicestershire this week.

Former Middlesex seamer Toby Greatwood is also added to the squad that was due to face Hertfordshire.

Former Glamorgan batter Callum Taylor is a likely debutant for Hertfordshire having arrived back this week from a winter playing club cricket in Australia. Taylor previously played National Counties cricket for Wales.

Dominic Chatfield and Arjun Patel drop out of the squad that should have played Berkshire last week with batter Alan Jones added.

In Group Five Dorset were denied victory against Wiltshire at Wimborne last weekend when, having dismissed the visitors for 72, rain during the interval prevented them from starting their chase.

Dorset return to Wimborne on Monday for a double-header against Devon after Sunday’s trip to Truro to face Cornwall where Hampshire batter Felix Organ will make his seasonal debut.

Cornwall have added 17-year-old Bridgwater batter Kian Roberts to the side that faced Devon last weekend.

Devon, who lost the opener but won the second match against Cornwall at St Just, host Wiltshire at Exeter on Sunday.

Slow left-armer Max Shepherd and Somerset Academy batter Fin Hill are added to the squad this weekend.

Wiltshire will be on home soil on Monday for their double-headers against Cornwall at the South Wilts club in Salisbury but will be missing left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott who is required for Second XI duty with Warwickshire.

Lintott is available for Sunday’s matches against Devon with Harry Broderick replacing Harry Cheater in the side that faced Dorset.

National Counties T20

Sunday May 5 (11am and 2.30pm)

Group One: Cheshire v Cumbria (Toft), Staffordshire v Northumberland (Burslem).

Group Two: Lincolnshire v Cambridgeshire (Bracebridge Heath), Norfolk v Suffolk (Sprowston).

Group Three: Berkshire v Buckinghamshire (Falkland CC), Hertfordshire v Bedfordshire (West Herts CC).

Group Four: Oxfordshire v Wales NC (Wormsley), Shropshire v Herefordshire (Oswestry).

Group Five: Cornwall v Dorset (Truro), Devon v Wiltshire (Exeter).

Monday May 6 (11am and 2.30pm)

Group One: Cumbria v Staffordshire (Carlisle), Cheshire v Northumberland (Oxton).

Group Two: Cambridgeshire v Norfolk (Exning), Suffolk v Lincolnshire (Ipswich School).

Group Three: Bedfordshire v Berkshire (Ampthill), Buckinghamshire v Hertfordshire (Beaconsfield).

Group Four: Herefordshire v Oxfordshire (Brockhampton), Wales NC v Shropshire (St Asaph).

Group Five: Dorset v Devon (Wimborne), Wiltshire v Cornwall (South Wilts CC).