DEVON have made two changes to their 12-man squad they took to Wales earlier this week for the cross-Tamar tussle with Cornwall starting on Sunday at Sandford.
Skipper Jamie Stephens is now free of the work commitments that prevented him travelling to Abergavenny and takes the captaincy back from Calum Haggett.
Left-arm seamer Jonty Walliker, who was unavailable for the Wales game, has been named in the 12 for a three-day game for the first time.
Dave Tall, the Devon team chief, has been an admirer of Walliker’s for a while because he brings something fresh to the team.
“He bowls left-arm over – which is about as rare as a wide-eyed, green mouthed frog – and has the ability to score runs down the order,” said Tall.
“We have got bowlers who do almost everything else, but we don’t have anyone who bowls what Jonty does and I cannot remember the last time we did.”
The most recent left-arm seamer to turn out for Devon was Ben Williams, who played twice in the 2015 season. Supporters with long memories may recall Plymouth paceman Dave Burke bowling left-arm over for the county in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as did Peverell Park team-mate Simon Hards.
Martyn Taylor, who played for Plymouth and Plymstock was a left-arm members of Devon’s attack between 1978-87.Going further back Doug Yeabsley bowled nagging left-arm seamers for Devon in more than 250 games between 1959-1989.
Skipper Jamie Stephens is now free of the work commitments that prevented him travelling to Abergavenny and takes the captaincy back from Calum Haggett.
Jamie Baird, who was 12th man against Wales drops out, as does left-arm spinner Max Shepherd, who was ‘loaned; by Gloucestershire as cover for Ed. Middleton.
Gloucestershire are taking a good look at leg-spinner Middleton in 2nd XI cricket. He has been playing for them against Glamorgan this week and has been pencilled into the team for next week’s Second Eleven Championship match against Essex at Colchester.
Devon were within touching distance of beating Wales at Abergavenny, but lacked the killer instinct to close the game out.
Tal said he was pleased with numerous aspects of the game against Wales, but without improvements wins could remain elusive.
“We bowled and fielded pretty well for most of the game and, in patches, we batted very well,” said Tall.
“What we have to do is make those ‘patches’ longer when we are batting as that is what cost us against Wales.
“On day two and day three we got into positions were we could have won the game and did not take them. “You don’t get many opportunities like that in three-day cricket and have to make sure we take advantage of them.”
With only four games to play in Western Division Two, and one defeat already, a win over Cornwall is crucial to stay in contention for promotion.
Cornwall make three changes from the team that lost to Devon in the KO Trophy at Sidmouth two weeks ago.
Joe Phillips, Max Trythonos and Charlie Kent are replaced by Chris Gibson, Karl Leathley and Tom Dinnis. It will be a full county debut for 21-year-old batter Karl Leathley who moved from Helston to Redruth earlier this year. He made 67 for Cornwall Choughs against Devon Academy at Sandford in August 2021.
Adam Snowdon is set to make his championship debut. His father Andrew made 30 championship appearances for the county (1983-86) and also played in the Nat West Bank Trophy defeat against Derbyshire in 1986. Ateeq Javid will also be making a championship debut.
Devon (from): J A Stephens, M W Thompson, C J Haggett, E H Hamilton, J D Horler, A J Small, S O Read, B A Beaumont, W B Szymanski, J E B Walliker, F Sabir, H M Whitlock.
Cornwall: Ateeq Javid, A W Bone, C F Gibson, M L Robins, P S Smith, K N Leathley, C D Lello, T J Dinnis, B A Ellis, A W Snowdon, E A F Whiteford.12th: C J Kent
Umpires: G Callaway and P Sparshott.
