NATIONAL COUNTIES TROPHY team news
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 28 May 2023 07:34
- Last Updated on Sunday, 28 May 2023 07:38
- Published on Saturday, 27 May 2023 07:34
- Written by PAUL BOLTON National Counties Cricket correspondent
All-rounder Priestley was released by Derbyshire at the end of last season and in addition to signing for Staffordshire he put himself in the shop window for new employers by attending the second National Counties Player ID Day at Loughborough in March which was attended by coaches and scouts from a number of first-class counties.
He has since backed that up by playing a prominent role in helping Staffordshire to win the National Counties T20 competition and topping the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Rankings.
Priestley pummelled 147 not out from 66 balls to set up victory over Berkshire in the opening semi-final on Finals Day at Tring Park last Sunday and followed up with a more restrained 57 and four wickets with his left-arm spin to help Staffordshire defeat Cornwall by four runs in the final later in the day.
Priestley has since been trialling with Worcestershire’s Second XI and marked his debut for them with a half century in a narrow defeat by a strong Warwickshire side at Barnt Green. There are close links between Worcestershire and Staffordshire as Kadeer Ali captained the latter before taking up a coaching role at New Road last year.
Priestley will be back on Staffordshire duty today when they face Wales NC in their opening National Counties Trophy match at Port Talbot.
Hem Heath all-rounder Callum Leese will make his debut for Staffordshire with Warwickshire Academy seamer Rory Haydon recalled for his first appearance of the season. Callum Hawkins returns as wicketkeeper in place of Spencer Byatt.
Wales have three of their contracted Glamorgan players – Ben Morris, Andy Gorvin and Alex Horton – available.
Swansea batsman Steffan Roberts is set for his first Wales appearance in seven years and experienced wicketkeeper/batter Cameron Herring will make his seasonal debut having sat out the T20 programme.
But talented batter Harry Friend misses out as he is on study leave.
The other Group Four match will be played tomorrow at Marlborough College where Wiltshire host Buckinghamshire.
Chippenham batter Dylan Church will make his debut for Wiltshire with Buckinghamshire giving a first appearance to Buckingham Town off-spinning all-rounder Hashan Ramanadanpulle, a product of their age groups.
Holders Berkshire begin their title defence with a Group Two match against Hertfordshire at Henley, where seamer Tom Nugent is in line for his seasonal bow.
Berkshire have none of their contracted county players available but they have included Wokingham batter Jayden Barson, who played for both their Under-16s and Under-18s teams last year, in a 12-man squad.
Slow left-armer Adam Searle, son of Olympic gold medal-winning rower Greg, is called up for the first time this season.
Hertfordshire welcome back wicketkeeper Ben Cowell in place of Charlie Mumford who is on Second XI duty with Hampshire.
Batter Dom Chatfield also returns with Reece Hussain, Luke Chapman, Alan Jones and Alex Gosling dropping out of the squad that was named for last weekend’s T20 semi-final defeat by Cornwall.
Cornwall host Devon at Truro tomorrow looking for a quick treble over their near neighbours following two wins in the T20 double-header at Cornwood three weeks ago which clinched their place at T20 Finals Day.
Devon include in-form Plympton centurion Ben Privett and Somerset Academy batter/left-arm spinner Josh Thomas in their 12-man squad for potential debuts.
All-rounder Seb Ansley returns having missed the T20 double-header at Cornwood.
Herefordshire hope that they will be able to play their first home competitive cricket of the season against Cumbria at Brockhampton in Group One tomorrow.
Herefordshire’s only scheduled home T20 matches – a double-header against Wiltshire at Eastnor – were washed out although they did manage to play a friendly against MCC at Brockhampton last Sunday.
Nick Hammond, who helped MCC to victory in that match, will be back in Herefordshire’s ranks along with skipper Matt Pardoe and wicketkeeper Luke Powell. Batter Olly Rogoff will make his seasonal debut.
Cumbria have named eight of the side that was beaten by Berkshire in last season’s final.
Ben Walkden and Nico Watt will make their seasonal bows.
Free to see National Counties Trophy
Sunday May 28 (11am)
Group Three
Horsford: Norfolk v Cheshire, Sudbury: Suffolk v Shropshire.
Group Four
Port Talbot: Wales NC v Staffordshire.
Monday May 29 (11am)
Group One
Brockhampton: Herefordshire v Cumbria, Scunthorpe: Lincolnshire v Northumberland.
Group Two
Henley: Berkshire v Hertfordshire, Truro: Cornwall v Devon
Group Three
Mildenhall: Suffolk v Cheshire
Group Four
Marlborough College: Wiltshire v Buckinghamshire
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