SOMERSET’S Peter Trego returns to the Devon side after a three-match absence for the crunch game against Oxfordshire starting at Sidmouth on Sunday (11am).

Trego has not featured for Devon since round one of the Unicorns Championship when he made a debut ton in the win over Wales.

Devon have not won since beating Wales at Pontarddulais and are in the wrong half of the Western Division table after an innings defeat by Cheshire last time out.

The top five in the table of ten will form a new Western First Division next season. The bottom half will be founder members of the Second Division.

Devon are eighth with two games to go – Oxfordshire then Cornwall at Exeter to finish – which sounds worse than it is.

Eight points will get Devon into the top half of the table, which is do-able with 24 points available for a win. What Devon have to do is start winning again. 

“One win and a draw might be enough, but if we don’t win at least one we won’t get where we want to be,” said team chief Dave Tall.

Devon’s batting looks stronger for this game as skipper Alex Barrow is back to open the innings and Trego is back as well.

Dan Goodey, an opening bowler who can bat, returns after a side strain ruled him out against Cheshire. Max Hancock is brought in as a left-arm spin option.

Gone from the XI beaten by Cheshire last time out are holidaying pro Wayne White, Matt Skeemer, Ed Middleton (injured) and Jamie Stephens (work).

Skeemer, picked as a bowler for the last three games but used mainly in a batting role to good effect, has been left out.

“It was a really tough call as Matt has done nothing wrong, but it was about getting the balance of the side right,” said Tall.

“There will be another tough call to make on the day of the match as we have to decide whether to have an extra bowler, or one less and go for an extra batter.”

Devon: A W R Barrow (Sidmouth). J W Baird (North Perrott), G B Allen, M Pugh (both Torquay), J E Burke (Plymouth), P D Trego (Weston), Z G G Bess, M W Hancock (both Sidmouth), D J Goodey (Bashley), H M Whitlock, T J R Codd (both Bovey Tracey), B A Beaumont (Cornwood).

Oxfordshire: H G K Smith (Leamington), O J Price (Oxford), R I Kaufman (Old Northamptonians) , G D L Sandbach (Oxford Downs), J A Carter (Buckingham Town), T M Cosford (Horspath), O D Clarke (Banbury), G M Andrew (Ombersley), M R Warner (Chesham), R D R White (Buckingham Town), J D J Butcher (Abingdon Vale), J O G Thomas (Banbury).

Umpires: D Daniels, P J Sparshott