HEREFORDSHIRE County Cricket Club will be playing Twenty-20 cricket this Sunday to prepare them for the real thing at the end of next month.

The Unicorns Minor Counties League are embracing the exciting format of cricket for the first time this year, with Herefordshire hosting the first event at Eastnor on May 31.

To help players get ready for this form of the game, practice matches have been arranged at Colwall this Sunday, beginning at 10.30am.

First team players and the development squad will be teaming together to form mixed sides for two consecutive games.

"This will be a great opportunity for our talented young players to play with, and against, the Herefordshire CCC Unicorns 1st XI players," said development squad coach Steve Williams.

"They will learn from the senior players, which will be both inspiring and informative.

"There are a number of young Herefordshire players who have the potential to play at first XI level.

"It is this type of exposure to challenging cricket that will equip them well for the second XI games and beyond.

"For those players with aspirations of pushing into the first XI Unicorns Minor Counties squad, this is a great opportunity to showcase their skills.

"The key challenge will be executing these skills with smaller margins for error and a need to understand the different phases of the T20 format, such as overs one to six, seven to 12 and 13-20."

Last weekend, Herefordshire were hammered by 10 wickets by Oxfordshire in their latest Unicorns Minor Counties Knock-out Trophy.

Oxfordshire were largely helped by Chad Keegan and Luke Ryan, who both bagged four wickets.

Former Worcestershire player Matt Pardoe was first to go on two, before Charlie Walker and Alex Milton were dismissed, leaving Herefordshire teetering at 11-3.

Captain David Exall was next to depart on 10 before further wickets went tumbling.

The only player to make any inroads was Liam Gwynne, who scored 44.