DURHAM DYNAMOS V SURREY LIONS at the Riverside (CB40), 17 JULY 2011

First meets third in Group B of the Clydesdale Bank 40. While Durham have dropped a couple of matches, it would take a brave man to write-off their chances of progressing to the knockout phase.

Before the CB40 broke up at the end of May, the Dynamos' strength was with the bat. Gordon Muchall was averaging 98.00, having struck five fifties in six visits to the crease. Ben Stokes - who is sidelined for this game - had hit a hundred and two half-centuries, while Dale Benkenstein and Gareth Breese were both averaging well over fifty. Add the dangerous Ian Blackwell and a rejuvenated Paul Collingwood into the mix and it all adds up to a frightening combination.

With the ball, Blackwell and Graham Onions had been economical, but injuries meant they rarely played in tandem. Benkenstein, who leads Durham in one-day cricket while Phil Mustard takes over the reins in the championship, had also turned his arm over to good effect. But two of the Dynamos' lesser known seamers, Mitchell Claydon (12 wickets at 18.50 runs apiece) and Chris Rushworth, had proven to be the partnership breakers.

Click here for the Surrey v Durham List A Records sheet as at the start of the 2011 season.

Durham's Ian Blackwell goes into this match with 198 List A career wickets.

Apart from Kevin Pietersen and Chris Tremlett, who are in the England party for this week's opening Test against India, Surrey have a full hand from which to choose. Surprisingly, Yasir Arafat has been named in the Lions' 14-man squad for this game and Matthew Spriegel, who currently tops Surrey's CB40 batting averages and has conceded less runs per over than Arafat in this competition, is missing. Very strange.

If Ben Stokes were fit, you would have to back Durham. Even without him they appear to have enough weapons to cause the Lions problems. The weather forecast isn't good, but if we get a game it will be interesting to see if Surrey are able to bounce back after missing out on a place in the last eight of the FLt20. My heart says Surrey, but my head says Durham, who, after all, have won five out of the last six one-day meetings between these two sides.. 

P Mustard (wk), G Muchall, P Collingwood, D Benkenstein (capt), I Blackwell, G Breese, C Rushworth, L Plunkett, S Borthwick, M Claydon and G Onions.

Steve O'Shaughnessy and George Sharp. (Third umpire - Martin Bodenham.).

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