Stubbings set to sign off as county captain

Steve Stubbings, left, captains Beds for the last time this week

Steve Stubbings will captain Bedfordshire for the last time against Hertfordshire in an MCCA Trophy group match at Harpenden on Sunday.

But who will take over from him the following day when the county take on Cornwall at Cople has still to be decided.

County chairman Ian Smith and secretary Pip August are having talks with a potential successor to Stubbings, who had been appointed full-time coach by Derbyshire, during the next couple of days, but no-one has been named as skipper.

The side for Sunday has still to be finalised with Bedfordshire waiting on the availability of all-rounder Rob Keogh.

Keogh, who scored 60 and then took 3-29 in his 10 overs of off-spin in Bedfordshire’s opening group match against Oxfordshire, was called up to play for first-class county Northamptonshire against Leicestershire last week, scoring eight and 10 runs in the drawn encounter.

Beds lost a nailbiter against Oxfordshire by one wicket last time out, but a place in the quarter-finals of the competition is still up for grabs.

Hertfordshire beat Oxfordshire last week to join them on four points – both sides having played three games. Cornwall have two points from two games and Devon the same number from three.

Two victories this weekend then would put Bedfordshire, who have played only one game, very much in the driving seat going into the final match with Devon at Dunstable the following Sunday.