Craig Penberthy – one of five first-season rookies in the Devon squad<br>credit: Conrad Sutcliffe - no re-use without copyright owner's consent

BY PAUL BOLTON

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE have included teenage batting prospect Daksh Sabherwal in their squad for the first time for the NCCA Cluberly Championship final which starts at West Bromwich Dartmouth on Sunday.

Sabherwal, who plays his cub cricket for Chesham in the Home Counties Premier League, has had a prolific summer in Buckinghamshire’s age-group teams, having passed 1,000 runs in county pathway matches.

That form has secured him a place in a 12-man squad of which only half – captain Alexei Kervezee, Ed Bragg, Ewan Cox, George Harvey, Conner Haddow and Tom Weymes – played in the 2023 final when Buckinghamshire beat Devon by a record 550 runs.

Slow left-armer Haddow returns having missed the draw with Lincolnshire at High Wycombe last weekend which secured the Eastern Division One title for Buckinghamshire and a place in the final. Haddow was called up by Northamptonshire to play in their Second XI Championship match against Hampshire at Dunstable and took three for 55 in 17 overs between the showers in a rain-ravaged contest.

Batter Moiz Rana, who made his Buckinghamshire debut in the victory over Staffordshire at Stafford three weeks ago, returns to the squad with off-spinner Max Uttley looking to achieve the rare feat of winning the Championship with two counties. He was part of the Berkshire side that beat Lincolnshire on the first innings lead rule in the 2022 final at West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Western Division champions Devon return to Sandwell Park with a 12-man squad which includes just three survivors from the 2023 final.

James Horler will captain Devon on this occasion with Ben Privett and Elliot Hamilton also returning to West Bromwich.

Batter-wicketkeeper Matt Thompson missed the 2023 final through holiday commitments but he was on the winning side when Devon beat Cambridgeshire in the 2011 final at March.

The final will be Thompson’s last appearance for Devon before he retires to concentrate on his day job as Head of Talent Pathway for Cricket Wales.

Between the two finalists there are ten players who have made their National Counties debuts this season with brothers Archie and Billy Dodds and Ryan Friend joining Rana and Sabherwal in Buckinghamshire’s squad and Seb Linnitt, Callum Harvey, Matt Jeacock, England Deaf international George Greenway and Craig Penberthy in Devon’s.

If the final is a draw at the end of four days the title will be shared as it was last year when Staffordshire and Berkshire were joint champions. The first innings lead rule was scrapped after the 2023 final.

NCCA Cluberly Championship Final

September 7-10 (10.30am)

West Bromwich Dartmouth CC: Buckinghamshire v Devon

Buckinghamshire: Alexei Kervezee (C), Ed Bragg, Ewan Cox, Archie Dodds, Billy Dodds, Ryan Friend, Conner Haddow, George Harvey, Moiz Rana, Daksh Sabherwal, Max Uttley, Tom Weymes.

Devon: James Horler (C), Elliot Hamilton, Matt Thompson, Lawrence Walker, Seb Linnitt, Callum Harvey, Sam Read, Ben Privett, Matt Jeacock, George Greenway, Craig Penberthy, George Daldorph (12th man).

How they fared in past Championship finals:

Buckinghamshire 

1899: Title shared with Northamptonshire. No final. 

1922 Beat Norfolk by eight runs at Lakenham 

1923 Beat Surrey Second XI by 242 runs at High Wycombe 

1925 Beat Northumberland by 157 runs at Jesmond 

1929 Lost to Oxfordshire by ten wickets at Merton College, Oxford 

1932 Beat Berkshire by better record in qualifying after drawn final at High Wycombe 

1938 Beat Lancashire Second XI by an innings and 25 runs at High Wycombe 

1946 Lost to Suffolk by 70 runs at High Wycombe 

1952 Beat Kent Second XI by 109 runs at High Wycombe 

1969 Won Championship. No final 

1983 Lost to Hertfordshire by two wickets at Worcester 

1987 Beat Cambridgeshire by losing fewer wickets at Worcester 

2006 Lost to Devon by 180 runs at Exmouth 

2009 Beat Cheshire by 117 runs at Slough 

2012 Lost to Cornwall by 150 runs at Truro 

2023 Beat Devon by 550 runs at West Bromwich DartmouthDevon's 2006 Championship-winning team surround skipper Bob Dawson after defeating Buckinghamshire at Exmouth. Current Devon coach Sandy Allen is second from the right in the back row

Devon 

1954 Lost to Surrey Second XI by inferior qualifying record after drawn final at The Oval 

1978 Beat Durham by better record in qualifying after drawn final at Exeter 

1992 Lost to Staffordshire by 79 runs at New Road, Worcester 

1994 Beat Cambridgeshire on superior bonus points at New Road, Worcester 

1995 Beat Lincolnshire by 57 runs at New Road. Worcester 

1996 Beat Norfolk by 158 runs at Exmouth 

1997 Beat Bedfordshire on superior run rate at Dunstable 

2003 Lost to Lincolnshire by eight wickets at Cleethorpes 

2004 Drew with Bedfordshire at Exmouth 

2006 Beat Buckinghamshire by 180 runs at Exmouth 

2011 Beat Cambridgeshire by 169 runs at March Town CC

2023 Lost to Buckinghamshire by 550 runs at West Bromwich Dartmouth

How they reached the final:

Buckinghamshire

July 20-22: Beat Suffolk by 119 runs at Bury St Edmunds
August 10-12: Drew with Cambridgeshire at Chesham
August 17-19: Beat Staffordshire by one wicket at Stafford
August 31-September 2: Drew with Lincolnshire at High Wycombe

Devon

July 20-22: Drew with Berkshire at Wargrave
August 10-12: Beat Cornwall by six wickets at Cornwood
August 17-19: Drew with Herefordshire at Eastnor
August 31-September 2: Drew with Oxfordshire at Sidmouth