Minor Counties Championship

Ashley Blanchard will make his Championship debut when Oxfordshire take on Devon at Sidmouth, starting on Sunday.

The Banbury seamer replaces the unavailable Stuart Hole for the Western Division match, which sees Oxon still in with an outside chance of topping the table.

Blanchard is one of six Banbury players in the county side and captain Ian Hawtin said he had earned his chance.

“Ashley’s selection is more to do with how he has performed for the Development XI,” said Hawtin.

“It is important that players see a way through to the first team if they do well.

“It has been the same with Tom Geeson-Brown, who was picked after impressing in the Development XI.

“There is a natural progression.”

Oxon’s other change sees David Smith replace Rob Williams, who is also unavailable.

Hawtin’s men are 17 points behind leaders Berkshire, so realistically need to them to lose and second-placed Dorset not to win if they are to take top spot.

“We have got to rely on other results,” said Hawtin.

“It is a bit galling really, with the Wales game being rained of when we were in a strong position.

“If we had won that, we would have been right up there at the top, but we are where we are.

“Hopefully, we can target a top-three finish.

“We have been third for the last two years and to finish there again would show we are competitive.”

Devon are six points above Oxon in third, so will harbour their own hopes of coming top.

They showed their batting prowess by making 420-6 dec in their first innings against Cheshire last time out.

Devon will be captained by Neil Hancock, who has ben featuring for the Unicorns in the CB Pro-40.

Oxfordshire: Hawtin (Banbury, capt), Shirazi (Banbury), Kaufman (Old Northamptonians), Knightley (Saffron Walden), Haupt (Banbury), Sabin (Banbury), D Smith (Wollaton), Rowe (Swansea), Ryan (Banbury), Blanchard (Banbury), Geeson-Brown (Oxford).