GLOUCESTERSHIRE V SURREY at Bristol (FCC1), 8-11 JULY 2005

No county has thwarted Surrey for longer in the County Championship than Gloucestershire, whose start to the 2005 campaign has been even worse than many feared. At 200/1 their chances of winning Division One are rated as less likely than President Chirac lighting the Olympic flame at the 2012 games in London. The odds-setters seem to think there is little to choose between Kent, Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Warwickshire, but a victory at Bristol would almost certainly see the Ovalites' price of 9/2 shaved dramatically. So, if you are thinking of having a punt on Surrey, tomorrow may well be the last day to get any value.

The odds for the match itself also puts the Bristolians' chances at slim - 13/8 in a two horse race - and it is not hard to see why. Unlike their opponents, who have almost be used to being without any overseas players for the best part of a year, Gloucestershire will be fielding an all England-qualified eleven. On top of that, one look at their championship batting averages indicates that, other than Chris Taylor (418 runs at an average of 32.15), no batsman has gone past 73 in seven outings. There has been better news on the bowling front, however. Jon Lewis (18 wickets at 22.55 runs apiece) and all-rounder Mark Hardinges have performed creditably. But Lewis, the destroyer of Surrey at Bristol last summer, is currently with the England one-day squad.

Looking ahead to the trip the Surrey coach Steve Rixon told Oval World: "I look at other games of cricket and see how other sides have been going about their business and I'm extremely happy with what I'm seeing. You've got a guy in Harbhajan that's extraordinarily hungry to produce a final performance for the club, if it is his final performance, and I think you might find he'll have a major say in the Gloucester game. Thorpey will also be desperate to score runs having been knocked over for a globe in the second eleven game the other day just to add to the woes. He's obviously got to be hungry, not that he feels the pressure, but if there's a time for things to click for him it's right now."

Last year I predicted that Surrey would win their championship clash with Gloucestershire at Bristol and the visitors went down to a humbling six-wicket defeat inside three days. So, it is with some trepidation that I stick to my guns by suggesting that a first win over the west countrymen since 1995 stands just around the corner for the Ovalites.

Tomorrow, the two main absentees will be Mark Butcher, who, it is hoped, will now play some part in Surrey's 2005 season, and Mark Ramprakash. Steve Rixon to Oval World: "We're probably playing a little cautious with Ramps. If he came in and played and something made a minor adjustment to the break, he'd be out for another three weeks."

P Weston, C Spearman, M Windows, C Taylor (capt), A Gidman, M Hardinges, S Adshead (wk), M Alleyne, I Fisher, C Greenidge and S Kirby.

DATE	RESULT	VENUE	TOSS	DECISION	SURREY	GLOS
18-21 Jun 2004	Match Drawn	The Oval	Surrey	Field	598	368 & 255-9
2-4 Jun 2004	Lost By 6 Wickets	Bristol	Surrey	Bat	298 & 213	406 & 106-4
13-16 Apr 1999	Match Drawn	The Oval	Gloucestershire	Field	342 & 229-7d	213 & 209-5
22-24 Jul 1998	Lost By 2 Wickets	Cheltenham	Surrey	Bat	297 & 135	167 & 266-8
14-16 May 1997	Lost By 9 Wickets	The Oval	Surrey	Bat	115 & 269	371 & 15-1
23-27 May 1996	Match Drawn	Gloucester	Gloucestershire	Bat	228-6d & 174-8	373 & 163-2d
27-30 Apr 1995	Won By 93 Runs	The Oval	Gloucestershire	Bat	217 & 475	392 & 207
26-30 May 1994	Won By 1 Wicket	Gloucester	Surrey	Field	72-3d & 354-9	319-7d & 106-4d
15-17 Jul 1993	Won By An Innings & 66 Runs	Guildford	Surrey	Field	381	153 & 162
26-29 Jun 1992	Won By 4 Wickets	Bristol	Surrey	Field	300-5d & 232-6	352-9d & 178
16-18 Jul 1991	Won By 2 Wickets	Guildford	Gloucestershire	Bat	250-3d & 252-8	304-9d & 197-3d
28-31 Jul 1990	Match Drawn	Cheltenham	Surrey	Field	200-6d & 302-9	301 & 202-4d

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