NCCA T20 2025: Week 4 - Preview

NCCA 50-Over Final: Dorset vs Shropshire at Chester Boughton Hall.

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T20 Week 4 Preview

Herefordshire and Suffolk will both be led by first-time captains in their National Counties T20 double-headers on Sunday.

Former Worcestershire Academy all-rounder Ollie Walker will lead Herefordshire against Devon at Eastnor in Group Four with Adam Jones taking charge of Suffolk for the first time against Norfolk at Woolpit.

Walker, 20, fills in for the experienced Matt Pardoe who is unavailable this weekend. It will be Walker’s first experience of leading Herefordshire in a competitive match although he did captain the county in a friendly against MCC last month.

Herefordshire are also missing Hasan Mahmood and Callum Bennett but Sinel Gunurathne and slow left-armer Ben Clarke are recalled and Cyrus Shafi, an all-rounder who plays his club cricket for Downed in Bristol, will make his debut.

Devon, who complete their group programme on Sunday, give debuts to the Paignton pair of Luke Medlock and Charlie Ward, whose father Tim played for the county between 1987 and 1993. Rhys Davies, a former MCC Young Cricketer, will make his first county appearance in 11 years and slow left-armer Max Shepherd his seasonal debut.

Suffolk are missing their appointed captain Josh Cantrell so Jones will deputise against Norfolk. Jones had played just once for Suffolk before this year, but he has previous captaincy experience with the county’s Second XI and has been in excellent form in white ball cricket this season.

Opening batter Ollie Burle, who is trialling with Warwickshire, and Freddie Cloud are unavailable but former Kent seamer Arafat Bhuiyan will make his Suffolk debut. Alex Cruickshank is set for his first Suffolk appearance in two years and Ben Parker his seasonaldebut while Tom Harper has his first T20 outing of the campaign.

Norfolk again include Bhuiyan’s former Kent team-mate Hamidullah Qadri and have Nottinghamshire batter Sam King available for the first time this season. King replaces the unavailable Charlie Hood with captain Sam Arthurton filling in behind the stumps.

In the other Group Two double-header Cambridgeshire host Lincolnshire at Exning – also in Suffolk and just 25 miles up the A14 from Woolpit - where pace bowler Matt Rees will make his T20 debut. Will Routledge, Ben Saunders and Nic Huckle are all recalled.

Lincolnshire give debuts to two more graduates from last season’s Under-18s team, batters George Woods and Freddie Gosnell.

Shropshire have named a much-changed side for their Group One matches against Northumberland at the South Northumberland club in Newcastle. Only six of the side that beat Suffolk in last Sunday’s National Counties Trophy semi-final will make the trip north.

There are four debutants including former Yorkshire left-arm wrist spinner Sam Wisniewski, who played for Staffordshire three seasons ago. Wellington pair Josh McDonald and William Lewin and Shifnal all-rounder Ollie Parton are the other newcomers.

Northumberland have Durham wicketkeeper/batter Haydon Mustard available for the first time this season. He is added to the side which beat Cumbria at Keswick last time out.

Cumbria welcome back captain Michael Slack from a hamstring injury for his first T20 games of the season against Cheshire at Barrow.

Wicketkeeper Drew Postlethwaite is recalled for his first county appearance in two years and Josh Stirling for his seasonal debut.

Former Leicestershire batter Harry Dearden returns for Cheshire along with Max Law and Steve Green as they attempt to bounce back from a double defeat against Staffordshire two weeks ago.

Dorset host unbeaten Group Four leaders Cornwall at Wimborne and they can again call on the services of Hampshire wicketkeeper/batter Joe Eckland who played an important part in helping them defeat Berkshire in last weekend’s Trophy semi-final.

Joe Gordon and Matt Burton also return to Dorset’s T20 squad with Cornwall calling up Jake Rowe, a batter/slow left-armer, and off-spinner Ellis Whiteford.

Oxfordshire introduce George Baines, a batter/wicketkeeper, against Bedfordshire at Luton in Group Three. Baines plays his club cricket for Knowle & Dorridge in the Birmingham & District Premier League but was born in Oxfordshire.

Leg-spinner Henry Welch returns after completing his school exams and Arjun Ramkumar from university commitments along with seamer Tom Davis.

Buckinghamshire have Northamptonshire batter Aadi Sharma available against Berkshire at Chesham.

Sharma has graduated from Buckinghamshire’s pathway system to the county’s senior side and to Northamptonshire’s first team squad via their academy.

All-rounder Cam Parsons is also recalled for a double-header which has increased in significance as Berkshire have been deducted for fielding an unregistered player - Andrew MacEwen - in their two victories against Wales NC two weeks ago.

Wales have been awarded four points and Berkshire’s net run rate for the two matches has been reduced to zero meaning that they have gone from top to bottom of Group Four with Buckinghamshire the new leaders.

Batters Josh Lincoln and Matt Dalrymple are added to the side that faced Wales and MacEwen – now registered – is also included.

Devon have also been deducted two points for fielding the unregistered James Theedom in their victory over Dorset in the second match of their double-header at Sandford two weeks ago. Devon’s net run rate for that match has also been reduced to zero and Dorset have been awarded two points.

The Group tables have been adjusted accordingly.

National Counties T20

Sunday June 29 (11am and 2.30pm)

Group One

Barrow: Cumbria v Cheshire. South Northumberland: Northumberland v Shropshire.

Group Two

Exning: Cambridgeshire v Lincolnshire. Woolpit: Suffolk v Norfolk.

Group Three

Luton: Bedfordshire v Oxfordshire. Chesham: Buckinghamshire v Berkshire.

Group Four

Wimborne: Dorset v Cornwall. Eastnor: Herefordshire v Devon.

📸 Conrad Sutcliffe