ESSEX V SURREY at Chelmsford (SSCC1), 16-19 SEPTEMBER 2019

Second plays host to sixth and, for differing reasons, both teams will be looking to put the disappointment of last week's performances behind them. Essex need to keep the pressure on Division One leaders Somerset, while Surrey, who have only two championship wins all season, will be keen to respond to the head coach, Michael Di Venuto's assessment of the 272-run loss to Hampshire, which the Australian branded "embarrassing". Di Venuto also issued the threat: "If they keep performing like that they can’t come whinging if they find themselves playing second team cricket next season."

Essex's engine room continues to be the new-ball / spin pairing of Jamie Porter (41 championship wickets at an average of 26.53) and Simon Harmer (71 at 18.66 runs apiece); and since the last meeting between these two at the start of the season Essex have reveled in the progression of seamers Aaron Beard (20.76), who is 21, and Sam Cook (24.39), 22.

Their batting has, however, lacked a little consistency even though Sir Alastair Cook has made 806 champo runs at 44.77 and Ravi Bopara (43.54) has chipped in with two hundreds when selected. The support cast is longer than most, but the only other Essex players averaging over thirty with the willow in this season's County Championship are Nick Browne, Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley.

Surrey v Essex - First-Class Records Sheet

Jordan Clark is set to make his 50th first-class appearance and is just four wickets shy of the 100-mark. Of the Essex contingent, Simon Harmer (596) is also four wickets away from a significant landmark, while Tom Westley (9,932) has 10,000 runs in his sights.

Surrey's squad shows two major changes - Liam Plunkett comes in, but Dean Elgar, who has returned to South Africa for personal reasons, drops out. With no Burns and no Roy, the Oval outfit could well, on the basis of last week's drubbing at Southampton, struggle to put a decent amount of runs on the board. The South Londoners were bowled out for less than 165 in both innings for the first time since 2012. Hampshire, in complete contrast, racked up 436 in their second dig - the highest second innings total Surrey have conceded in four years.

Surrey have not lost a County Championship match at Chelmsford since 1990. Their three defeats away to Essex during that time have all come at Colchester, which dropped off the first-class fixture list after the visit of Sussex in 2016. But with the hosts keen to leapfrog Somerset, plus, if we're being perfectly frank, the Oval outfit flattering to deceive for the vast majority of the season, I've got to go with an Essex win. Hopefully it will be in four days, rather than with time to spare, If it is at leas Surrey will have shown some measure of a reaction to Di Venuto's comments.

N.Browne, A.Cook, T.Westley, D.Lawrence, R.Bopara, R.ten Doeschate (capt), A.Wheater (wk), S.Harmer, Beard, S.Cook and J. Porter.

Ian Gould and Mark Saggers.

GO TO:




BACK TO: