DERBYSHIRE V SURREY at Derby (LVCC2), 22-25 APRIL 2009

Other than Tom Lungley proving a tad expensive and their front-line batsman failing to turn decent starts into big scores, Derbyshire will probably have come away from last week's championship visit to Chelmsford feeling upbeat. However, the continued absence of Chris Rogers, whose work permit application is still being processed, means that once again they will be without their star batsman and captain; although it does mean that Stuart Law will see some more four-day action. That is the sort of news the visitors will have been dreading - Law averages 63.09 against Surrey and of his 25 innings against them he has been dismissed in single figures on just three occasions.

With the ball, the star of Derbyshire's opening championship match of the season was undoubtedly Ian Hunter, who took 5-46 followed by 2-42. Jonathan Clare and Greg Smith also enjoyed some success. But Graham Wagg, who was their leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket last term did not bowl a ball against Essex due to a strained hip flexor muscle, which he sustained when batting. Spinners Mark Lawson and Jake Needham have been placed on standby in case Wagg is unfit to line-up against the Brown Caps. 

More like trivia - Never before have Surrey started a County Championship fixture against Derbyshire at Derby in April. Also, tomorrow's contest will only be the second between the two sides to start before the end of May since 1936 - the other being in 1997.

Scott Newman returns to the Surrey line-up after being left out against Gloucestershire - for what were rumoured to be disciplinary reasons - and it is just as well for Newman has a good championship record against Derbyshire. In four visits to the crease he has so far never failed to make a half-century against them. Newman will replace either Evans or Spriegel. The other change to the Brown Caps' eleven that started the season is Murtaza Hussain making way for Pedro Collins or, as seems more likely, Alex Tudor. 

Seven out of the last eight of the Brown Caps' last championship visits to Derby have produced a positive result, so I can't sit on the fence this time. As Surrey have only scored three batting points in their last three championship matches, one senses that confidence remains low. Derbyshire, on the other hand, racked up 326 in their first dig last week against the same Essex attack as the one that dismissed Gloucestershire for 155 today. So, sadly, the recent form points to the Brown Caps' winless championship run continuing. 

S Stubbings, G Park, S Law, D Redfern, W Hinds, G Smith, D Pipe (capt, wk), G Wagg, J Clare, T Lungley and I Hunter.

Trevor Jesty and John Steele. See also The Dreaded Finger

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