COUNTIES CRICKET Déjà vu for Devon and Bucks
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 06 September 2026 06:00
- Last Updated on Sunday, 06 September 2026 07:18
- Published on Sunday, 06 September 2026 06:00
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
Sawant was signed by Buckinghamshire for the Championship campaign and he made his debut in their victory over Staffordshire in their opening Eastern Division One match in July.
He was then recalled by Middlesex for their Metro Bank Cup campaign, made his first team debut against Hampshire at Southampton and played in four more matches.
Sawant will return to Buckinghamshire for the four-day final with his presence helping to compensate for the absence of Bertie Foreman. The former Sussex batter/off-spinner has been signed by Kent for the final month of the season having impressed while on another short-term deal earlier in the summer with his National Counties form helping Foreman to earn another opportunity at first-class level.
“Bertie is a huge loss to us - batting, bowling, fielding, personality-wise – he has been awesome all year,” said Buckinghamshire captain Conner Haddow.
“He thoroughly deserves that chance with Kent. It’s a weird one because selfishly you want to see him again but, then again, you don’t want to see him again because it means that if we don’t see him again it’s because he has gone full-time which is what he deserves.
“He brings such good energy. He’s always flying around, he’s always buzzing in the field and fizzing the ball into the keeper. He lifts everyone up with him which is a great characteristic to have.
“Aaryan returns for the final. He played the first Championship game for us against Staffordshire and got two Jaffas. There’s not much he could do about that. I think any player in our side would have got out to those balls.
“It will be good to see him again. Hopefully he will make an impact over the four days.”
Sawant is one of five players in Buckinghamshire’s 12-man squad who did not play in last year’s final in which they beat Devon by 19 runs with Haddow taking 16 wickets in the match and nine in the second innings, both records for a Championship final.
Former Worcestershire batter and Herefordshire captain Matt Pardoe has replaced Alexei Kervezee, who captained Buckinghamshire last year, with all-rounder Josh Lincoln – who made a century for Berkshire in the drawn 2024 final against Staffordshire – Great Brickhill batter Rhys Nicholas and Chesham batter Daksh Sabherwal coming into the squad. Sabherwal, who made a half-century on his Championship debut against Cambridgeshire two weeks ago, was twelfth man for last year’s final.
Devon’s also includes five players who did not feature against Buckinghamshire 12 months ago. Sidmouth’s Sam Elstone comes in for Lawrence Walker in the only change to the top order but there is a new-look seam attack.
Thorverton’s George Daldorph has taken 15 Championship wickets in his first season of National Counties cricket and is one of nine ever-presents in Devon’s squad for the final.
Wicketkeeper/batter Matt Thompson has also played in all Championship matches having reversed his decision to retire following last year’s final.
All-rounder James Matravers, who is on Gloucestershire’s Academy but is home-reared, Exmouth’s Cameron Kidd and Callington off-spinner Matt Whalley are the other changes to last year.
This will be the third time in four seasons that Buckinghamshire and Devon have met in the Championship final at West Bromwich Dartmouth with Devon narrowing the gap considerably 12 months ago following a record 550 runs mauling in 2023.
“The venue is the same as last year, the pitch and conditions are likely to be similar and the majority of both teams will be the same,” said Devon captain James Horler.
“The danger is we slip back and start playing last year’s final again, which we have to put out of our minds. What we must do is play what is in front of us and not play from memory.
“Last year became a battle of the left armers – Haddow for them, Callum Harvey for us – which detracted from how strong we were as a side.
“If anything we are a stronger, improved side all-round now, as our 50-over and Twenty-20 performances this season have shown.
“We defeated Bucks in the 50-over competition at Exeter earlier in the season and I firmly believe we can beat them again.
“As the season has gone on we have got more and more right in red-ball cricket, so there has been less to say.
“We won the Western Division with three wins and a draw, which shows how hard we have become to beat.
“If we win against Buckinghamshire we will have earned the silverware.”
NCCA CLUBERLY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
September 6-9 (10.30am)
West Bromwich Dartmouth CC: Buckinghamshire v Devon
Teams
Buckinghamshire (from) Billy Dodds (High Wycombe) Archie Dodds (High Wycombe) Aaryan Sawant (Stanmore) Rhys Nicholas (Great Brickhill) Matt Pardoe (High Wycombe) Daksh Sabherwal (Chesham) Josh Lincoln (High Wycombe) George Harvey (Gerrards Cross – wk) Ryan Friend (Tring Park) Ed Bragg (Halesowen) Conner Haddow (High Wycombe – captain) Tom Weymes (Tring Park).
Devon (from) Elliot Hamilton (Tavistock) Sam Elstone (Sidmouth) James Horler (Exmouth – captain) Seb Linnitt (Exeter) Matt Thompson (Callington – wk) Ben Privett (Midsomer Norton) Callum Harvey (Midsomer Norton) Sam Read (Exeter) Cameron Kidd (Exmouth) Matt Whalley (Callington) George Daldorph (Thorverton) James Matravers (Bedminster).
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 Dartmouth
2025 Beat Devon by 19 runs at West Bromwich Dartmouth
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 Worcester
1994 Beat Cambridgeshire on superior bonus points at Worcester
1995 Beat Lincolnshire by 57 runs at Worcester
1996 Beat Norfolk by 158 runs at Exmouth
1997 Beat Bedfordshire on superior run rate at Luton
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
2023 Lost to Buckinghamshire by 550 runs at West Bromwich Dartmouth
2025 Lost to Buckinghamshire by 19 runs at West Bromwich Dartmouth
Route to the final
Buckinghamshire
July 12-14: Beat Staffordshire by 187 runs at Chesham
July 26-28: Lost to Northumberland by eight wickets at Benwell Hill
August 2-4: Beat Suffolk by 16 runs at Chesham
August 23-25: Beat Cambridgeshire by eight wickets at Peterborough
Devon
July 12-14: Beat Herefordshire by eight wickets at Sidmouth
July 26-28: Beat Oxfordshire by 86 runs at Banbury
August 2-4: Drew with Berkshire at Blundell’s School
August 23-24: Beat Wiltshire by 194 runs at South Wilts CC
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
