Harry Passenger – back from New Zealand and in the Devon Lions team to face Cornwall<br>credit: Conrad Sutcliffe - no re-use without copyright owner's consent

DEVON have packed their squad with all-rounders for Sunday’s Twenty20 double header against Cornwall at Truro.

There are no major surprises among the selections for the trip to Boscawen Park as everyone in the 12 has been in a Lions’ squad before, although bad weather may have limited their opportunities.

Among the newer faces in the 12 are Plymstock’s Tom Mitch, Plymouth’s Ted Haffenden and Bideford’s Ollie Hannam.

Mitch and Haffenden both bat and bowl. Hannam bats and keeps, although Adam Small will be behind the stumps at Truro. He has recently returned from a winter playing league cricket in Cape Town.Jack Ford - in charge for games against Cornwall

Mitch forced his way into the reckoning last season with performances for club side Plymstock that earned him the Tolchards DCL’s young-player-of-the year award.

Ollie Hannam racked-up the runs for Bideford in league cricket – league tons against Sandford, Cullompton and Ipplepen on successive Saturdays caught Devon’s eye – and he has been polishing his game in Australia during the UK winter with Taralgon in Victoria.

Hannam was named the DCL’s player of the year for his achievements with the bat.

Another player to benefit from an overseas experience is Torquay’s new skipper Harry Passenger, who spent part the season in New Zealand.

Haffenden is just back from Western Australia, where he was a registered overseas player with Perth CC.

Although Devon had a fruitful red-ball season in 2023 – they were Western Division One champions – success in white-ball cricket in general and T20 in particular has been thin on the ground for a while.

Tim Western, the Lions’ director of coaching, is aiming to prepare players for T20 cricket in fixtures like these.

“There is a positive red-ball momentum in the county squad and we want to see the same success in the white-ball formats,” said Western.

“There is limited exposure at club level to the T20 format so these fixtures provide opportunities for the wider squad to develop their technical and tactical skills.

“We have selected an exciting team most of whom are all-rounders, which this format needs.”

Sandford’s Jack Ford, described by Western as the possessor of ‘a good cricket brain’ will lead the Lions for the first time.

Devon Lions: J A W Ford (Sandford, capt), S J Elstone (Sidmouth), H J Passenger (Torquay & Kingskerswell), J A J Presswell (Hatherleigh), S E H Ansley (Bovey Tracey), T W Mitch (Plymstock), J C Gore (Exeter), T J Haffenden (Plymouth), O G Hannam (Bideford), M R Jeacock (Sandford), H Southgate (Heathcoat), A J Small (Sandford).