HAMPSHIRE V
SURREY at the Rose Bowl (FCC1), 15-18 JUNE 2005

Hampshire have played three championship fixtures at the Rose Bowl so far this summer and have been victorious each time. Mind you, we're only talking about Gloucestershire, Middlesex and Glamorgan. Significantly, Shane Warne has won the toss and elected to bat on each occasion. Curiously, the last time the toss-winning captain chose to bowl first in a Surrey-Hampshire championship clash was way back in September 1991.

The good news for Surrey is that Kevin Pietersen is on England duty and there's still no sign of all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas getting over his back problems. However, wicketkeeper Nic Pothas is set to return for Hampshire after missing the Kent match at Canterbury and the last two one-day games with a broken finger.

The main dangers with the bat will be Kiwi Craig McMillan, who makes his second appearance in place of Australia's Simon Katich. There's also John Crawley, who has made 1,023 championship runs at an average of 48.71 - including two hundreds - against Surrey during his career, plus up-and-coming opener Michael Brown.

The bowling is Hampshire's stronger suit by some distance. Chris Tremlett, who is set to make his 48th first-class appearance yet his first against the Oval outfit, currently heads their championship averages with 35 wickets at an average of 19.25. Shane Warne has also claimed the same number of victims, but at a slightly higher cost, plus Taylor and Udal have had their moments. But Shaun Udal will care to forget that the 28 Surrey wickets he has taken over his career have come at an average of 47.78 runs apiece.

I'll leave this thought with you - Hampshire are currently the 7/2 second favourites to win this year's championship title whereas the odds-setters have Surrey in fifth place in the betting at 17/2. Now, let's just say the Ovalites win this contest - what would happen to the prices then? Chances are Surrey and Hampshire would trade those prices. On that basis if you still think, like Steve Rixon, that it's Surrey for the champo, this has got to be the optimal time to take a punt.

Those with approaching milestones include Jonathan Batty who has nine first-class hundreds, needs one catch for 300 for Surrey and if he has a catch or stumping in Hampshire's first innings will break his own Surrey record of 20 successive innings with at least one dismissal. Mohammad Akram needs 6 wickets for 350 career wickets, Martin Bicknell has 99 first-class catches, Rikki Clarke needs 2 wickets for fifty for Surrey and, finally, Graham Thorpe has 49 first-class centuries and needs 86 runs for 1,000 against Hampshire in first-class cricket.


The Rose Bowl is a result wicket, plus Hampshire are without Katich, Mascarenhas and Kevin Pietersen. It all seems to point to a Surrey win. If the Ovalites have any realistic hope of winning this year's championship, they really do need to go into the mid-season break with a third victory under their belts.


Once again, an injury or three means no real selection headaches for Steve Rixon. Rikki Clarke (bruised finger) and Mohammad Akram (left calf strain), who missed last week's match against Middlesex, are fit again and will come in for Mark Ramprakash and, in all probability, Tim Murtagh, who had an off game on the face of it at Lord's. Poor old Murts, he actually bowled well on the opening day, but he'll probably be the first to admit that the timing and the nature of his dismissal on Friday was not what Surrey or Ali Brown wanted at that stage with the light playing into Boring Boring Middlesex's hands.


G Lamb, M Brown, J Crawley, C McMillan, N Pothas (wk), S Ervine, C Benham, S Warne (capt), S Udal, C Tremlett and B Taylor.

DATE RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY HAMPSHIRE
11-14 Sep 2002 Won By 123 Runs Rose Bowl Surrey Bat 418 & 422-8d 327 & 390
22-25 Aug 2002 Won By An Innings & 60 Runs The Oval Hampshire Bat 576 190 & 326
29 Jun - 2 Jul 2000 Won By 120 Runs Southampton Surrey Bat 331 & 228-6d 167 & 272
1-4 Jun 2000 Won By 2 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 333 & 142 210 & 263
14-17 Jul 1999 Won By 156 Runs Guildford Surrey Bat 171 & 482 322 & 175
13-15 May 1998 Won By An Innings & 184 Runs Southampton Surrey Bat 591 189 & 218
16-19 Jul 1997 Won By 9 Wickets Guildford Surrey Bat 477 & 78-1 303 & 251
25-29 Jul 1996 Won By 5 Wickets Southampton Hampshire Bat 331 & 332-5 359 & 301-4d
14-18 Sep 1995 Match Drawn The Oval Hampshire Bat 71-2d & 175-2 185 & 152
18-22 Aug 1994 Lost By An Innings & 68 Runs Southampton Surrey Bat 150 & 385 603-7d
31 Aug - 3 Sep 1993 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 380 & 281-8 559
19-22 May 1992 Lost By 10 Wickets Southampton Hampshire Bat 184 & 369 552-9d & 2-0
3-5 Sep 1991 Won By 171 Runs The Oval Hampshire Field 258 & 187 119 & 155
25-28 May 1991 Won By 1 Wicket Bournemouth Surrey Field 235 & 256-9 281 & 209-6d
23-27 Aug 1990 Won By 9 Wickets Southampton Hampshire Bat 517 & 75-1 197 & 393
19-22 May 1990 Match Drawn The Oval Hampshire Field 374-5d & 204-5d 250-4d & 238-5

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