DEVON’S white-ball skipper Jamie Horler has set ambitious targets in every respect for the Bank Holiday double-header in the National Counties Twenty20 competition.
Wiltshire face Devon at Exeter on Sunday (11am) in back-to-back T20 fixtures. The squad dash off to Wimborne after the game to prepare for Monday’s meeting with Dorset.
Horler’s first priority is dodging the bad weather that has plagued their 20 and 50-over prospects in recent seasons - and this year's warm-up programme.
Target number two is a 100 per cent return that will cement Devon as leaders in Group Five and ensure home advantage in the Super-12s quarter-final stage later this month.
“Firstly, I hope we can get in four games of cricket – regardless of the result – so we have some playing time as a squad going into the 50-over competition,” said Horler.
“Dorset and Wiltshire will be strong sides, as usual, so we will be taking it 20 overs as a time and looking to take home all eight points from the weekend.”
Devon had mixed fortunes against Cornwall in their group opener. They were three-wicket losers in game and three-wicket winners in game two, both of which were low-scoring affairs.
Having factored in early season elements such as pitch conditions and lack of time in the middle, Horler there was only one main improvement he wants to see.
“There is not much to fret about in the short format, but batsmen need to push past the 30-40 mark, which is the norm in this format, and get into the 60s, 70s and 80s,” he said.
Devon have added Fin Hill and Max Shepherd to their squad for the Bank Holiday weekend double-header.
All-rounder Hill missed the opening double date with Cornwall at St Just in the NCA T20 Competition to allow Devon the chance to assess a batch of new players.
Shepherd, now in his third season as Devon’s first-choice left-arm spinner, was also omitted as part of the team management’s assessment process.
Devon only took 12 to St Just. Missing from that group is former Somerset Academy scholar Connor Gilbert, who bowled first change against Cornwall.
Devon (squad): J D Horler, C J Haggett, B A Beaumont, E H Hamilton, S O Read, W R Christophers, W B Szymanski, L S Walker, B H Privett, M B Shepherd, F J Hill, C M Sharland, G J Addy.
Wiltshire: J Goodwin , J M A Mynott, E G C Young (c), J B Lintott , B L Draper, J J Kelly, N R Feltham, A R J Fairfax-Ross, A B Johnson , J N Croom, W J Hope.
Dorset (squad): S J Young, J R Eckland, D N C Scott, J J Gordon, F S Organ, A J Eckland, F Gordon, L A Webb, C M Smith, O J Breckon, T Varney, T Pattemore.
