May 6, 2008
Warwickshire hope to be able to include Coventry pair Myles Dorrian and Dai Maddocks in their squad for their County Championship Bill Beaumont Cup match against Yorkshire at Nuneaton on Saturday May 10.
Fly-half Dorrian and Barbarians prop Maddocks were both forced to sit out the 35-25 defeat by Lancashire at Preston Grasshoppers last Saturday after they sustained minor injuries in Coventry's final National League One game of the season against Nottingham the previous week.
Both have made themselves available for county duty this season and will have fitness checks before Warwickshire finalise their side.
Warwickshire won promotion by winning the County Championship Shield last season and have had a tough introduction back to the top flight of the three-tier Championship.
"It doesn't get any easier, but no-one said that it was going to be easy when we won promotion," said Warwickshire's head coach John Widdowson.
North Midlands, who exchanged places with Warwickshire when they were relegated to the County Championship Shield last season, opened their campaign with a 41-16 win over Durham at Stourbridge last Saturday.
North Midlands return to Stourton Park this Saturday when Cumbria are the visitors but they could face selection headaches.
Luctonians have reached the final of the North Midlands Cup, which will also be played at Stourbridge on Sunday May 11, and it is not yet clear whether their players will be released for county duty 24 hours before they play Hereford.
Four Luctonians players - fly-half Alex James, lock Darren Brick, prop Nick Byron and number eight Paul Hulland - were in the North Midlands' squad last weekend.
North Midlands' win, which included four tries from Stourbridge winger Greg Summers, meant an encouraging start for their new coaching team of Alan Hubbleday, who played England Schools rugby alongside Jonny Wilkinson, and Richard Henwood.
"It was a really good start and the boys pulled together well," Hubbleday said. "We had a few purple patches during the game, we gave away a few silly penalties at times, but it was a very encouraging first performance from the squad."
In the County Championship Plate East Midlands return to action after a week off with a Pool Three game against Kent at Bedford Athletic.
East Midlands crushed a depleted Berkshire in their opening match and will progress to the play-offs if they defeat Kent.
Cambridge lock Pete Kowlakowski, a British Police international, and the Luton pair of hooker Brett McNamee and John Wells are expected to be added to the squad that was on duty against Berkshire.
In Pool One of the Plate Leicestershire will be seeking their third consecutive win to clinch a play-off place when they entertain Essex at Syston.
Staffordshire and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire meet at Stafford where NL&D will be aiming to avoid a whitewash, after defeats by Essex and Leicestershire, following their relegation from the County Championship Shield last season.
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