Selection headaches blight Devon's preparations for first three-day game of the season | 'At one point I only had two seamers and one spinner as everyone else was not available for one reason or another' – Dave Tall

Ed Middleton – playing for Gloucestershire 2nd XI while Devon are in action at Abergavenny

SELECTION problems have overshadowed Devon’s preparations for the National Counties Championship campaign opener against Wales that gets under way against Wales at Abergavenny tomorrow (11am).

The four-match programme is played on fixed dates which, in the past have spilled over into September. As competing counties wanted to get their games played before schools and colleges returned, the first round of games has been brought forward.

An unintended consequence of switching dates has been that schools and colleges have not finished for the summer break yet, which has ruled out a number of players and teachers in the Devon side.

Dave Tall, Devon’s director of cricket, said getting a match squad together has been more than a headache.

“What has been done to the fixtures made it ridiculously hard to get a side out,” said Tall.

“At one point I only had two seamers and one spinner as everyone else was not available for one reason or another.

“Although we have got 12 now, it has not been easy and I hope we don’t have to go through this before every game.

“The reality for us this season is to aim to be competitive in every game, which is hard if you are always making changes or can’t get your best team out.”

Losing leg-spinner Ed Middleton from the bowling attack in response to a request from Gloucestershire only made Tall’s headaches worse.

“You cannot stand in the way of a player when a First Class county wants to have a look at them, but that left another gap in the side to fill,” said Tall.

“I tried everyone I could think of in Devon without success so when Gloucestershire offered us Max Shepherd I said ‘yes’ straight away.”

Shepherd is a second-year academy scholar with the county having gone through the age-group system first.

Shepherd has played second team cricket for Gloucestershire in four-day and T20 formats. He plays WEPL cricket for Cheltenham.

Brad Wadlan, the former Cornwall professional, has been named in the Wales side for his first three-day game for them since 2018.

The last time Wadlan played against Devon he scored a century for Wales in a drawn game at Sandford. And the time before that he took a ton off Devon playing for Cornwall at Sidmouth. 

Wales (NC from): H L R Friend (Newport), C R Nicholls (St Fagans), C R Brown (Lansdown), M J Bevans (Newport), B L Wadlan (Swansea), B I Kellaway (Chepstow), CL Herring (Pontarddulais), S J Pearce (Bridgend/Warminster), S J Jardine (Neath), J S Foulkes (St Asaph), B J Morris (Abergavenny), M M Ilyas (Newport).

Devon (from): C J Haggett (Shapwick & Polden), M W Thompson (Congresbury), J D Horler (Exmouth), E H Hamilton (Plympton), S O Read (Exeter) A J Small (Sandford), B A Beaumont (Cornwood), J W Baird (Sidmouth), M B Shepherd (Cheltenham), K B Szymanski (Swansea), F Sabir (Ombersley), H M Whitlock (Kenilworth Wardens).