Oxfordshire will be without in-form batsman Craig Haupt and prolific wicket-taker Keith Arnold when they open their inaugural three-day Minor Counties Championship programme against Shropshire at Thame on Sunday.

Haupt, who hit the national headines with his double century for Banbury in the Home Counties League on Saturday is set to miss the whole of Oxon's six-match Western Divison campaign for work and personal reasons.

Veteran Arnold was the leading wicket-taker in the whole Championship last season with 62, when Oxon were pipped at the death for the Western Division title.

However, the paceman has still not fully recovered from the pelvic strain that caused him to miss Oxon's previous one-day games.

Although, he will be bowling for his club side Leamington Spa tomorrow, Arnold has told the Oxon selectors he is not yet ready for three-day matches.

Indeed, Oxon have been beset with selection difficulties for this game.

Also missing are Ben Thompson, who is required to play for Exeter University, Michael Bellhouse (wedding), Luke List (holiday) and promising young twins Ian and Phil Evans, who are studying for A levels.

"Because of the Bank Holiday, we thought this would be the best for availability, but that's not been the case,' expalined Oxon team secretary Pete O'Neill.

Still, the Oxon line-up should not be short of runs. It's the bowling that is causing the main worry, esepcially as the matches have been extended from to three days.

This change did not meet with unanimous approval especially as there are only six matches this summer.

So Oxon will not face three of the teams in the Western Division table.

"I think three-day cricket will make people play properly," said Oxfordshire captain Rob Williams. "But then there are severe constraints on getting time off work.

"I sometimes wonder if the people ECB realise how many sacrifices players have to make to play Minor Counties cricket.

"We're aiming to match or do even better than but with our limited resources, we do depend a lot on our key players being available."

Shropshire, for insdtance, include two players with long first-class experience in former Warwickshire batsman Asif Din and ex-Nottinghamshire seamer Kevin Evans.

Play on Sunday starts at noon to save Shropshire an overnight stay. The other two days start at 11am.

Oxfordshire: R Williams (Bicester & N Oxford) capt, K Mustow (Oxford & Horspath), S Laudat (Rover Cowley), P Jobson (Oxford & H), C Knightley (Richmond), A Cook (Cumnor), I Hawtin (Bic & N Oxford), G Peddy (Oxford & H), Shahbaz Ali, I Adams (Banbury), P Jeacock (Bic & N Oxford).

Shropshire: B Jones (capt), M Marvell, J Ralph, Asif Din, A Johnson, M Downes, G Mumford, K Evans, A Shantry Bowden, R de Silva.