Newcomers aim to impress against Somerset

DEVON have included a batch of new faces in their side for today’s ‘Showcase’ game against Somerset at Exmouth (11am).

Opportunities to have a look at additions to the squad are few and far between as the National Counties programme of 20-over, 50-over and three-day cricket contains few vacant slots from late April onwards.

Fresh faces in the team, pulled either from performances in the Tolchards DCL or the Devon Lions development programme, include Ethan Guest, Sam Elstone and Paignton’s Charlie Ward.

Guest, a regular wicket-taker for Bridestowe, has a Premier cricket pedigree in East Anglia, where he was a member of the title winning Sawston & Babraham side in 2021.

Elstone, a former Scotland international, has been racking-up league runs for Sidmouth this season and scored a ton for the Lions last time out.

Ward, an all-rounder, has been using the new ball and scoring runs for Paignton in the DCL. Tim Ward, Charlie’s father, played more than 50 times for Devon between 1987-97.

Devon have a shortage of genuine seam-bowling all-rounders and are hoping Ward is over the fitness problems that have ruled him out of contention in the past.

Devon have three games still to play in the three-day National Counties Championship – starting with Cornwall at Truro this Sunday – and the team management want some insurance policies in the event of injuries or availability problems.

Dave Tall, Devon CCC’s director of cricket, said playing newcomers against professionals is a good way of testing their mettle.

“It is a way of gauging players consistency, their approach to the game and what their body language tells you,” said Tall.

“Nothing goes un-noticed in league cricket, but it is not always possible to look at players to see how they perform at the next level up.

“This is an opportunity for a chance, maybe later this season or next season.”

Showcase games between First Class counties such as Somerset and neighbouring National Counties, like Devon, were introduced by the England & Wales Cricket Board in 2022.

The aim of the games is for the First-Class counties to see the talent on their doorsteps at first hand while warming-up for their looming oneday competition – and give Devon’s players to opportunity to see how they measure-up against the professionals?

“We have players who, if they were playing cricket seven days a week, or training, who would be little different from the Somerset lads,” said Tall.

“Four of the Somerset team have played for us in the past few seasons – Fin Hill was in our side for this game last year – and that will motivate our boys to try to do well against them.”

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