Devon start the countdown to a new season of National Counties cricket with a 50-over friendly against the University of Exeter at Sidmouth on Sunday (11am).

The Devon management only has two practice matches to prepare for the serious stuff, which starts on April 24, with a Twenty20 double header against old foes Cornwall at Werrington.

Senior players are generally excused duty in games like this – and others like to get in some holiday before the action gets competitive and are not available for that reason.

Opening batsman James Horler, who broke into the side last season, falls into the latter category. He showed early season form last weekend with a hundred for Cardiff University against Newport in the South Wales Premier League.

Another player in some early season form who will be facing the student side is leg-spin bowler Ed Middleton, currently studying at Oxford and playing for the UCCE side.

Middleton, another young player who broke into the Devon team in 2021, picked up two Derbyshire wickets in a three-day friendly in The Parks earlier this week. His victims were two batsmen who average more than 40 in First Class cricket: J L du Ploy and Wayne Madsen.

Emerging players such as batter Ben Beaumont, keeper-batter Adam Small, left-hander Elliot Hamilton and paceman Joe Hancock are all in the match-day 12. Small has spent the winter playing club cricket in Australia, as has Hamilton.

James Ford, one of the new faces in the Devon set-up, also wintered Down Under. A product of the Devon youth system, he has a runs and wickets track record in B Division cricket for Bideford. He has joined Premier side Sandford for the summer ahead.

Plympton pair Justin Wubbeling and Jonty Walliker, both of whom have been part of the Devon coaching programme during the winter, get first chances to show what they can do.

Also in for the first time is Cornwood captain Elliot Staddon, a bowler who has made useful runs in Premier and A Division cricket.

Alex Barrow, the former Somerset batsman and ex-Devon captain, is now in charge of cricket at the University of Exeter. His side won’t be named until later in the week due to injury and availability issues.

J A Stephens (Taunton Deane, capt), C J Haggett (Bridgwater), B A Beaumont (Cornwood), A J Small (Sandford), J E B Walliker (Plympton), M P Skeemer (Cornwood), J R H Hancock (Heathcoat), E J Staddon (Cornwood), E W O Middleton (Exeter), J A W Ford (Sandford), E H Hamilton, J Wubbeling (both Plympton).