Jamar Stovel will have to wait at least another year to try and reclaim his spot in St George’s Cup Match team after being ruled out by injury.

The 20-year-old seamer was among those seeking recalls in the challengers team, but will again miss out having picked up a knee injury in his last outing with Home Counties Premier League side Oxford Cricket Club in England before returning on island.

“It wasn’t something sudden, I just noticed over time I was experiencing pain in my right knee, in particular after bowling,” Stovel told The Royal Gazette.

“I thought nothing of it at first, but the more and more I bowled the worst it got.

“It wasn’t until I decided to look at my knee properly and noticed it was completely swollen. I went to a physiotherapist who then diagnosed me with tendinitis.”

Stovel, who also plays for newly crowned First Division 50 overs and Western Counties champions Warwick, hopes to be back in action by the end of the domestic season before returning to England, where he is also studying at Oxford Brookes University.

“I haven’t got a specific timeline as in when I will be back. But definitely pushing to be ready for the start of the T20 season to get in a few games before I leave to go back away end of August,” he added.

Stovel made his debut in Cup Match in 2021 but was dropped the following year.

He is the second St George’s player to be ruled out by injury this year along with club all-rounder Charles Trott, who fractured a metatarsal bone in his left foot in his team’s east end derby against Premier Division 50 overs rivals St David’s at Lord’s in May.

St George’s coach Clay Smith revealed that Stovel is not the only injury concern he and his fellow coaching staff have been confronted with in the build-up to this year’s two-day classic at Somerset Cricket Club.

“Jamar is one of three major injury concerns that we are having to deal with leading up to the final trial,” the former St George’s captain said.

“Once we get a final assessment on all the players we will know more, and then we will sit down and pick our final trial squads.”

The challengers are expected to make as many as four changes to the 2023 team as they prepare to renew battle with holders Somerset on August 1 and 2.