DORSET captain Chris Park feels former Hampshire youngster Tom Barber still has time to carve out a career in the professional game.

Released by the Ageas Bowl club last summer, the Poole-born paceman trialled with Somerset at the start of this year and is now playing for West of England Premier League side Clevedon as well as Dorset.

Barber had previously made an explosive introduction to the first-class game in 2014 when he dismissed Kane Williamson and Andrew Gale in consecutive deliveries in Hampshire's Royal London 50-over match against Yorkshire.

The 20-year-old was dropped by Clevedon for their win over Bristol last weekend and performed 12th man duties for Dorset in the Unicorns Trophy semi-final defeat to Staffordshire.

With that in mind, Park revealed how Barber was desperate to get going ahead of tomorrow's trip to Cornwall in the Unicorns Championship. And the county skipper reckons the youngster has the talent to make interested onlookers sit up and take notice.

Park told the Daily Echo: "He's raring to go for the Cornwall game because he didn't play at all last weekend, which is a bit of a sore point for a cricketer.

"It was the best he had bowled for us in the three-day game against Herefordshire a fortnight ago and I'm sure he took confidence from that.

"Somerset haven't taken his trial any further yet – they have sent him away to take wickets, find some form and get back to bowling a lot of overs.

"He is keeping his options open. He is playing club cricket for Clevedon and doing a lot of coaching work around the West Country, and we are getting him involved when we can.

"If he gets some five-wicket hauls in Minor Counties cricket, one of the first-class counties might come in. He's got the pace but it's just a case of striking while the iron's hot and showing good form to everyone who is watching.

"He knows what he has got to do – he has to keep taking wickets and bowling fast.

"Because he was at Hampshire for so long, people forget he is so young but time is on his side."

Jem Warner replaces fellow spinner Rob Pack for the trip to Truro Cricket Club (11am).

Dorset: Khan, Arnold, Webb, Porter, Trueman, Thomson, Park, Wolstenholme, Currie, Warner, Barber, Digby.