National Counties T20 wk 2 Preview

Warwickshire left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott will swap the heat of Bangladesh for the chill of a Cornish spring when he plays forWiltshire in Sunday’s National Counties T20 double-header against Cornwall at Wadebridge.

Lintott has just returned from a successful five-match stint playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier Division where he claimed his maiden five wicket haul in List A cricket.

He made his final appearance for Mohammedan against Dhaka Leopards at Fatullah on Monday and will now play his first cricket of the English season for Wiltshire as Warwickshire have no cricket this weekend.

Wiltshire suffered the frustration of having both of their scheduled matches against Devon last Sunday washed out so will hope for drier conditions at Wadebridge.

Cornwall are missing former Loughborough MCCU all-rounder Will McVicar, their new professional. Former Leicestershire all-rounder Tom Wells returns for his first National Counties appearance in two years and former Cambridgeshire batsman Ben Seabrook makes his Cornwall debut.

 Beacon all-rounder Jordan Thomas will make only his second county appearance in seven years.

Dorset lead Group Two having beaten the weather and Herefordshire – twice – at Sherborne School last weekend.

They face Devon at Exmouth on Sunday with Netherlands Under-19 batter Luca Del Bianco in line to make his debut.

Del Bianco and seamer Toby Pattemore, another debutant, come into the squad with Ben Ladd-Gibbon unavailable this week.

Devon are missing Dan Goodey and Will Christophers so Matt Skeemer and Ed Middleton come into the squad that was selected to face Wiltshire. James Horler will captain Devon on his home club ground.

Former Dorset and Hampshire batter Oli Soames will make his debut for Bedfordshire in their Group Four double headers against defending champions Oxfordshire at Dunstable.

Bedfordshire limbered up for their T20 campaign with a brace of victories over Suffolk in friendlies at Bury St Edmunds last Sunday and are able to include Worcestershire batter Kashif Ali in their squad again this weekend.

Batters Sam Bates and Charlie Thurston, who were released by Leicestershire and Northamptonshire respectively at the end of last season, are also in the side along with former Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely.

Oxfordshire, who began their title defence with a win and a defeat against Buckinghamshire, again have again been able to include Nottinghamshire and England all-rounder Samit Patel in their squad.

But Harrison Ward, who is contracted to Sussex, is not available this weekend which could mean a T20 debut for the promising Zach Lion-Cachet.

Buckinghamshire have named an unchanged 12-man squad for Berkshire’s visit to high Wycombe with Northamptonshire batter Saif Zaib again available for his native county.

Berkshire, who were frustrated by a double washout against Wales NC last week, are able to include four of their contracted county players – Toby Albert (Hampshire), Tom Scriven (Leicestershire), Jack Davies (Middlesex) and Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire) – in a strong squad.

Shropshire will give a National Counties debut to former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell in their Group One games againstCheshire at Shifnal.

Fell had a ten-year career with Worcestershire before he was released at the end of last season and has now been recruited by Shropshire to add experience to a side that won only three games in all formats last summer.

Olly Westbury, another former Worcestershire batter, returns to Shropshire’s side for the first time in four years and former Staffordshire batter James Middleton has also been recruited and will make his debut on Sunday.

Worcestershire seamer Mitchell Stanley is available for Shropshire, his native county, who will be captained for the first time by Ed Home at his home ground. Another Shifnal player, off-spinner Shaun Lorimer, is a potential debutant.

Cheshire will give debuts to Nottinghamshire off-spinner Matt Carter – who has plenty of previous National Counties experience with Lincolnshire – and Sale wicketkeeper Pat Ashling.

Northumberland have contracted Durham players Luke Doneathy and George Drissell available for their matches againstStaffordshire at the South Northumberland club in Gosforth.

Doneathy was due to make his Northumberland debut against Cheshire last weekend before rain wiped out the double-header at Chester Boughton Hall. Off-spinner Drissell is a new addition to Northumberland’s squad.

Staffordshire travel without the unavailable Liam Banks and Tom Brett so Matthew Morris is added to the squad that was named for the washed out games against Cumbria. Former Lancashire seamer Liam Hurt, who was in the wickets for Northamptonshire Second XI this week, will make his debut.

Former Essex batter Michael Comber is back in Suffolk’s squad for the first time in four years against Cambridgeshire at Ipswich School in Group Three.

Suffolk can also call on the services of Northamptonshire’s left-arm wrist spinner Freddie Heldreich this weekend.

Cambridgeshire have named three debutants in their squad with batter Henry Wilson, who played for the county’s Under-18s team last season, joining Peterborough Town all-rounder Nick Green and slow left-armer Elliot Hooper.

Hertfordshire return to Hitchin’s Lucas Lane ground for the first time in 25 years where Lincolnshire who were the last visitors in 1998 are again the opponents.

Former Essex batter Jack Plom and Charlie Mumford, a Watford-born wicketkeeper who made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Sri Lanka Development XI last summer, will make their National Counties debuts for Hertfordshire.

Lincolnshire have named the same squad that was selected for last week’s abandoned double-header with Norfolk. Three newcomers - Hartsholme batter Harry Doyle, Woodhall Spa all-rounder Alex King and Collingham & District seamer Ravi Yarwood-Paintal - are included.

National Counties T20

Sunday April 23 (11am and 2.30pm).

Group One

South Northumberland CC: Northumberland v Staffordshire, Shifnal: Shropshire v Cheshire.

Group Two

Wadebridge: Cornwall v Wiltshire, Exmouth: Devon v Dorset.

Group Three

Hitchin: Hertfordshire v Lincolnshire, Ipswich School: Suffolk v Cambridgeshire.

Group Four

Dunstable: Bedfordshire v Oxfordshire, High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire v Berkshire.