Devon entering a rebuilding phase under new skipper says team boss Tall

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

A NEW-look Devon side takes on Herefordshire at Instow tomorrow (Sunday, 11am) in the opening round of National Counties Cup group matches.

A lot has changed since Devon last played a competitive game back in September 2019 – and not just the new name for Minor Counties cricket.

Devon have a new captain, a new professional in ex-Somerset, Kent and England under-19 all-rounder Calum Haggett, and a largely new squad as the county rebuilds following a sizeable ‘churn-over’ among their playing regulars. 

Alex Barrow, the former Somerset batsman, has given up the captaincy, which has passed to spin bowler Jamie Stephens. Work commitments as a jobbing coach have forced Barrow to step aside and he is unlikely to play either.

Gone, too, is vice-captain and hard-hitting all-rounder Zak Bess. He has landed a job as strength-and-conditioning coach with Nottinghamshire CCC, a post that rules him out as a Devon player.

James Burke, the former Somerset and Surrey all-rounder, is not available at all this season for his home county. Add in the patchy availability of Matt Golding – another batter who bowls – and it is clear Devon are entering into a transitional phase.

Stephens has senior players such as ex-skipper Matt Thompson and seamer Hugo Whitlock and Dan Goodey in his squad – and a host of young players.

Dave Tall, the county club’s director of cricket, said with so many under-21s in the side, it made sense to bring in an experienced professional to stabilise the side.

“A huge amount of experience has gone from the side and to give ourselves a chance the younger players coming in need someone around who has been there and done it,” said Tall.

“The National Counties rules limit you to someone who has played less than 40 First Class, List A or Twenty20 games and they are hard to find.

“Calum fits the profile nicely and I am sure our young players will benefit from having him around.”

Also around is left-arm spinner Fahad Sabir, who has been recommended to Devon by talent spotters in the Midlands. He plays in the Birmingham Premier League for West Bromwich Dartmouth and went through Warwickshire’s youth system from age 13 until last season. He is hoping performances for Devon might attract attention from other First-Class counties.

Devon’s match-day 12 to play Herefordshire includes white-ball debutants Elliott Hamilton, Ben Beaumont, James Degg and James Horler, all of whom are batters.

Although Tall has been impressed by all four in warm-up games, he stressed it would be wrong to expect 19 year olds to play like five and six-season veterans straight away.

“They have all batted well and are not afraid to play their shots, or take on the bowling,” said Tall.

“Going forward it is players like that and a few others, players like Ben Privett and Adam Small, who are going to be the future of Devon.

“But when you lose as many experienced players as we have at the same time, there cannot be a five-minute fix.

“If we lose more games than we win and have a poor season it will be because we are re-building and these things take time.”

Devon have four pool games – two home and two away – and need to finish in the top two if they are going to qualify for the quarter-final, knockout stages. The other teams in Devon’s group are Cornwall, Dorset and Wiltshire.

What used to be Minor Counties Cricket has been rebranded for 2021 under the National Counties banner in an attempt to make the recreational game more mainstream. The Minor Counties name may have been around since 1895, but the nature of the game has outgrown the implied second-class status.

Devon (from): J A Stephens (Taunton Deane), M W Thompson (Port Talbot), J H G Degg (Plymouth), E W O Middleton (Exeter), C J Haggett (Bridgwater), B A Beaumont (Cornwood), E H Hamilton (Plympton), S O Read (Exeter), J D Horler (Exmouth), D J Goodey (Plymouth), H M Whitlock (Bovey Tracey), F Sabir (West Bromwich Dartmouth).

Herefordshire: M G Pardoe, B C Lilley, A J Hinkley, N Hammond, Z U Hassan, D G Ball, T A Haige, B E I Morgan, I T Bullock, A K Russell, J Rudge.

Umpires: S Hollingshead, G I Callaway.

[O] Kian Burns, the former Bradninch and Lewdown batsman currently turning out for Callington, has been selected by Cornwall for the first time for their game against Dorset at Werrington.