By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

TWO old faces and a wild-card newcomer have been named in Devon’s 12-man squad for the 50-over warm-up game against Exeter University on Sunday (11am).

Peripatetic pacer Kazi Szymanski – he divides his time between league cricket in this country and the Southern Hemisphere – is back on a Devon team-sheet after a season off.

Szymanski played for Torquay & Kingskerswell before joining Glamorgan and has wandered the wickets since leaving Sophia Gardens in 2019. Last season he turned out for Yorkshire side Moorlands in the Huddersfield League, a commute home that ruled out travelling back to play for Devon.

Tim Western, Devon CCC’s director of cricket, said Szymanski is lined-up to play a key role in the side.

“Kazi is a skilful bowler with a strong record in the past for us in white-ball cricket,” said Western.

“We want to look at our best bowling options in our two warm-up games and have named Kazi in both sides.” Devon’s second game is against Cornwall at Plympton on Sunday, April 19.

Back in the frame after a seven-year hiatus is left-handed batter Dan Pyle, who brutal white-ball innings for Exmouth demanded his consideration.

Pyle played one and three-day cricket for Devon in his first spell of representative cricket and filled in as wicketkeeper in a drawn game against Wales at Sandford.

Said Western: “Dan is really keen to wear the Devon Lion again and has a lot to offer in the white-ball stuff as an aggressive batter, a useful seam bowler and excellent fielder.”

The wild-card selection is Gabriel Gallman-Findlay, who is on the teamsheet as a keeper-batter.

Gallman-Findlay, who is 25, represented Scotland at under-19 level and has been turning out in the West of England Premier League for Taunton St Andrews. He played throughout the 2021-22 ICC Under-19 World Cup qualifying campaign for Scotland in the same side as Sidmouth and Devon batter Sam Elstone.

Gallman-Findlay has an interesting cricketing CV that includes playing age-group cricket for Somerset and Scotland, a stint in the Pakistan Junior League with Bahawalpur Royals an U19 World Cup man-of-the-match award and appearances for Oxford University CCE against Kent and Middlesex in the recent round of warm-up games.

The connection with Devon is through coach Callum Haggett, who knows him as a WEPL opponent.

New to the white-ball squad, but not the Devon set-up, are seamers George Greenway and Craig Penberthy, who debuted in the Western Division title-winning three-day team last summer.

Seb Linnitt, back from a prosperous winter playing Grade cricket in Australia for North Sydney CC, has plenty of incentive to perform for Devon this season.

“Somerset let Seb go at the end of last season, but playing for Devon gives him a platform to encourage another county to come in for him,” said Western.

Paignton’s Charlie Ward – a bowler who bats – featured in Devon’s Twenty20 side last season. He and Callington new boy Matt Whalley have yet to feature in a competitive 50-over game.

Missing from the first warm-up game due to injury is T20 captain Lawrence Walker, who suffered a broken thumb during net practice.

Sunday’s game at Topsham Sports Ground is part of the fettling process before the serious stuff starts against Herefordshire at Bovey Tracey on April 26. 

Devon (squad): D R Pyle (Exmouth), B H Privett (Midsomer Norton), J D Horler (Exmouth), C F Harvey (Midsomer Norton), G R E Gallman-Findlay (Taunton St Andrews), M G Whalley (Callington), C W B Ward (Paignton), H J Passenger (Torquay & Kingskerswell), G E Greenway (Exmouth), C D Penberthy (Bridestowe & Belstone), K B Szymanski (Beaconsfield), S J Linnitt (Exeter).

University of Exeter: D P Rawal, C S Mumford, O H Cox, C M Sharland, A MacDonald, G Harvey, M Vesty, A J Davies, S F Daniel, O V J Heard, T MacDonald, S Dubey.

Umpires: C T Sleep & P A Smith.