WRAG Barn golfer Oliver Jeans will help Wiltshire attempt to defend their English Boys’ County crown at Cumberwell Park next week.

The seven-strong side will represent the South West as they take on Northamptonshire, who made their first appearance at the finals last year and finished as runners-up, Yorkshire, who will seek their eighth win, and Hertfordshire, who have been champions twice before.

U18s manager Ian Welding is confident that Wiltshire will be able to live up to the expectation that comes with being champions.

“This is the third year in a row that we have qualified for the finals and we actually won it last year, so we are going in as defending champions,” he said.

“We went in with no expectations at all – just to do our best – but this year, with it being in Wiltshire, the expectation is a bit greater.

“We’ve got pretty much the same team as last year. They handled it really well last year so I’m hoping they will be able to step up and do the same again.”

The team will play 36 holes a day across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In the morning, they will compete in teams of four against another county.

They will then have six singles against another county in a match play format.

The winners of each day will face the losers of the other half of the draw and then on Thursday, they play the remaining team.

Welding added: “I’m certainly confident. The preparations have been good and that the lads can handle the pressure.

“Yorkshire are very, very strong. I would say they are probably the favourites.”