10th August 2023
| Matt Thompson
Nothing short of a win will do if Wales want to keep their promotion hopes alive this season, as they host Division 2 leaders Cornwall at Abergavenny Sunday-Tuesday.
Cornwall snuck home by two wickets in a tense affair at St Austell this week against Wiltshire leaving them sitting pretty on 57 points with this week being their last game. Wales, currently on 16 points after two games can still catch the leaders if they win well against them this week, and take home the spoils against Dorset in the final round of games. An appeal to the NCCA may still yield another four points as an error in the current rules and regulations was spotted after the inital rained off game against Shropshire. Currently Wales and Shropshire have only been awarded 4 points for a drawn affair where only 20 overs were played across all three days, compared to games that award 8 points for being 'abandoned'. Wales will remain hopeful that common sense prevails which would see their current tally up to 20 before taking on Paul Smith's men this weekend.
The Welsh management have been forced into three changes to the squad that had the better of a drawn affair at Corsham against Wiltshire, with Sam Jardine in for the unavailable Tim Moses, and Saihaj Jaspal replacing fellow left armer Jack Harding who is resting a back problem. It will be a red ball debut for Jaspal who has enjoyed a productive white ball campaign for Wales across both T20 and 50 over formats, as well as impressing in his outings for the South Asican Cricket Association (SACA) against multiple county 2nd XI's. Both him and Jardine offer variety to the seam attack alongside George Pritchard and the recalled Jason Foulkes who comes in for the unavailable Steff Roberts. Foulkes has been in fine form for Cheshire League side Nantwich after making the switch from St Aspaph last season, topping the league wicket taking charts but has been unavailbale for Wales thus far this season in the longer format. His last appearance was at Abergavenny against Devon last season. With Wales opting to go for four seamers rather than three at Corsham, it will likey mean a promotion up the order for Denbigh's Harrison Jones.
CAPTION: Saihaj Jaspal will make his debut in the 3 day format for Wales after impressing in the white ball campaign.
Cam Herring's side head into this weekend having played some strong cricket - least of all the skipper himself after making history in the last game - but knowing the margins for error are infinitely fine. With the points for a win providing a significant boost for any recipient they will know that Cornwall will all but seal promotion if they win or avoid defeat. Cornwall bring a number of players who are very familiar with South Wales through university pastures in Xavier Clarke and Max Tryfonos but will look to rely on the dependable experience of Smith, former Kent man Will MacVicar and the pace of Tommy Sturgess.
Wales NC from: HLR Friend (Newport), CH Hemp (Swansea), HG Jones (Denbigh), BL Wadlan (Swansea), WL Ryan (St Asaph), CL Herring+* (Pontarddulais), TD Phillips (Cardiff), SBS Jaspal (Ammanford), JS Foulkes (Nantwich), SJ Jardine (Pontarddulais), GT Pritchard (Swansea), KL Marsh (Ammanford).
Cornwall CCC from: DE Jenkin (Helston), AJ Hodgson (Werrington), WA MacVicar (Hayes), RX Clarke (Ammanford), MM Tryfonos (Bedminster), PS Smith* (Castle Bromwich), KN Leathley+ (Helston), TG Sturgess (Swarkestone), BA Ellis (Callington), EAF Whiteford (Redruth), MJ Lawrence (Wadebridge).
Admission is free and live streaming is hopefully available.
Play starts from 11am on Sundayat Abergavenny