TWO players from Cornwood and two more from Plympton are in the Devon Lions XI that will face a Somerset Academy XI at Seaton on Sunday (11am).

Cornwood batter Ben Beaumont and keeper George Thompson will share the dressing room pegs with Plympton batter Justin Wubbeling and seamer Jonty Walliker.

The Lions is Devon CCC’s development operation and mainly used as a proving ground for players knocking on the door of a spot in the county side.

For this particular game the Lions management has selected two established players – Beaumont and Exmouth’s James Horler – and asked Toby Codd to captain the side.

Spinner Codd has been a regular in red and white-ball cricket for Devon in recent seasons and his experience is seen as useful against a side that in the past has bristled with talent on the way up.

“In previous years, we have come across the likes of Tom Abell, Will Smeed, Eddie Byrom and Nathan Gilchrist,” said Tim Western, who runs the Lions set-up.

“It is great that our emerging players will have chance to test their skills against some future stars. In what is always a competitive fixture against players pushing for professional contracts.”

Devon paceman Joe Gore, one of two Exeter players in the Devon team, is bound to have a point to prove. He was on an Academy contract with Somerset back in 2016. Despite having been talent spotted by England Develpment Squad managers, he was relased the following year.

The Devon squad is: T J R Codd (Bovey Tracey), J Wubbeling (Plympton), B A Beaumont (Cornwood), J D Horler (Exmouth), E B Smout-Cooper (Abbotskerswell), R Stanley (Torquay), G Thompson (Cornwood), J E B Walliker (Plympton), J C Gore (Exeter), J A W Ford (Sandford), F Watson-Smyth (Exeter) and T J Ingham-Hill (Sidmouth).