PHILIP Evans, the 17-year-old son of former Oxfordshire cricket captain Rupert, will make his county debut in the friendly with Buckinghamshire at Dinton on Sunday.

His selection comes just weeks after his dad announced his retirement from the Minor Counties scene.

Evans Snr called it a day in the spring, having first played as an Oxon Colt in 1973. The 45-year-old off-spinner took 448 Championship wickets in 155 matches.

Evans Jnr is a sixth-former at Cheney School. A right-arm seam bowler, he moved from Horspath to Oxford CC over the winter.

"I'm very proud," said Rupert.

"It would have been nice if we could have played together. There can't have been many fathers and sons who have done it, but it wouldn't have been right to hang around just waiting for it." He added: "I think there is going to be a bit of pressure on Philip because of who his dad is. People are going to wonder whether he got picked because of me, but fortunately I am not a selector.

Oxon (v Bucks): R Williams (Bicester and North Oxford, capt), G Peddy, P Evans, (both Oxford), A Cook (Cumnor), D Taylor, S Laudat, G Savin (all Rover Cowley), K Mustow (Oxford), G Palmer, A Jones, I Hawtin (all Bicester and North Ox).

Bucks : P Atkins (High Wycombe) capt, M Bowyer (Tring), R Lane (Slough), N Burns (unatt), A Romaine (Buckingham), A Cole (High Wycombe), T Scriven (H Wycombe), J Bovill (Marlow), A Clarke (Longton), P Woodroffe (Slough), P Sampson (Buckingham).

Story date: Friday 07 May

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