By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

DEVON’S white-ball season will start earlier than usual next season if National Counties cricket returns for a full season.

Traditionally, the group stages of the Twenty20 tournament start either in the final week of April or over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Fixtures released in the last few days start on April 18 for Devon when they travel to Salisbury to play Wiltshire. The first home is against Dorset on April 25, probably on the County Ground in Exeter.

Herefordshire away at a venue to be confirmed is booked for May 2. Devon then have two weeks off before they entertain old enemies Cornwall at Bovey Tracey.

The 50-over competition features the same five counties but with the fixtures reversed.

Herefordshire will visit North Devon CC on May 30 in the 50-over curtain raiser.

Devon are away to Cornwall on June 20 – no venue yet – and at home to Wiltshire at Sidmouth on June 27.

The group stages conclude with a trip to Dorchester on July 4 to play Dorset. Devon have not played a game of any sort at Dorchester since 1993.

County officials have yet to finalise the three-day championship fixture list, although they have confirmed the venues for red-ball matches will be Sandford and Sidmouth.