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Surrey have not been back to Cardiff for a one-day game since being knocked out of the Benson & Hedges Cup semi-finals in 2000. But their two previous visits ended in success, particularly seven years ago when Sophia Gardens was the venue where they clinched the 1996 National League. Will history repeat itself there tomorrow, I wonder? The form book would suggest it will. The visitors, who need one more victory to make things certain, go into the game on the back of five consecutive wins in the National Cricket League, whereas Glamorgan have lost seven out of their last ten; and only scraped through their most recent success - against Yorkshire at Colwyn Bay - by one run. Following a run that reads 60, 61 and 91* Michael Powell now tops the Dragons' NCL batting averages for the season with 557 runs at an average of 46.41, while Maynard and Hemp are in close company with averages in the low forties. But so often it seems that Glamorgan have undermined their chances by not being able to up the scoring rate at the end of their innings. Their bowling attack is led in every sense by Mike Kasprowicz. Wharf and Davies have taken wickets, but have been a bit on the expensive side. So, much depends on Glamorgan spinners Robert Croft and Dean Cosker, who were given a hammering when the Dragons visited Whitgift School a few weeks back. With Surrey missing Saqlain and the dominance that spin enjoyed in the championship game against Northants, which ended today, it will be interesting to see if the hosts try to put the skids under Surrey by producing a turner. For the Lions, Alistair Brown needs 43 runs to join Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe with over 500 runs in limited-overs cricket this summer, while Jimmy Ormond requires two more victims to join Azhar Mahmood and Adam Hollioake with over 20 wickets.
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