Barrow injury leaves Devon in the cart without a keeper

Alex Barrow - suffered a back spasm playing for club side Exeter

DEVON have some patching up to do before getting a side out against Oxfordshire at Banbury in the Minor Counties Championship today.

Keeper-batsman Alex Barrow pulled out yesterday afternoon after he was injured playing for Exeter against Exmouth.

Barrow, who joined Devon after being released by Somerset last season, suffered some sort of back spasm while batting.

He continued with a runner before getting out for 39 and fielded in pain in the second innings.

Barrow had no prospect of playing in a three-day game and informed Devon team boss Keith Donohue as soon as possible.

Losing Barrow the batsman is bad enough for Devon; having to find a wicketkeeper at short notice is another issue.

Matt Thompson, Devon’s regular keeper, was already missing due to work commitments and Barrow was understudying for him.

Donohue rang round Premier and A Division captains last night trying to find a player available at short notice to fill in. It remained a work in progress overnight.

“It is very short notice to get someone to play in a specialist position,” said Donohue.

“It may be we will get our best 11 cricketers on the pitch and get one of them to do it.”

Skipper Josh Bess has kept for club side Sidmouth in the past, but asking him to do it robs Devon of one of their most potent bowlers.

Devon had enough availability problems going into the game as Dan Pyle (groin), Jack Popham (hamstring) and Jack Dart (exams) were all absent.

Popham’s  absence meant a call-up for Paignton’s George Benton, who is following dad Keith, brother Seb and great-uncle Keith snr into the side.

With Pyle and Dart mising there are places in the travelling party for Tom Lammonby and James Burke.

Somerset are happy for Academy scholar Lammonby to broaden his experience with Devon. Surrey staffer Burke, an old Devon hand is coming back from illness and needs game time.

Oxfordshire: L M Sabin (Banbury), T P W Condon (Aston Rowant), H D Ward (Horspath), J L N Garrett (Great & Little Tew), J A Cater, (Buckingham Town), M A H Hammond (Aston Rowant), R I Kaufman (Old Northamptonians), J A Wilkins (Banbury), H E Eltham (Oxford), L M Bethell (Aston Rowant), B F D Taylor (Banbury).

Devon (from): J J Bess (Sidmouth), M H Curtis (Clevedon), L F O Bess (Sidmouth), J E Burke (Surrey), M C Golding (Bovey Tracey), Z G G Bess (Sidmouth), T A Lammonby (Exeter) J A Stephens (Falmouth), H M Whitlock, T R J Codd (both Bovey), G Benton (Paignton).

Umpires: D N Pedley & A Hicks