KENT V SURREY at Canterbury (LVCC1), 4-7 SEPTEMBER 2008

Surrey will not need to be told that the key to beating Kent is to account for Martin van Jaarsveld early on. Perhaps that is why the Brown Caps have drafted in Shoaib Ahktar, although they will be hoping that when he steps off the plane today he is match fit and not too jet-lagged. Van Jaarsveld made back-to-back unbeaten hundreds against Surrey in the first championship encounter between these two sides this season. Apart from him, no other recognised batsman is averaging more than 33.50 for the hop county in four-day cricket this year, and only one other player - Joe Denly - has so far scored more than 550 runs.

It will come as no surprise, therefore, that Kent owe the fact that they currently occupy third place in the table to their bowlers. Robbie Joseph (49 wickets at 24.51 runs apiece in the championship) and Ryan McLaren (42 at 22.59) have led the way, but, when they have played, Azhar Mahmood and Yasir Arafat have been just as effective. Luckily for Surrey both are doubtful for this fixture, though Amjad Khan is by no means the worst man to have up your sleeve if they are missing.


Again, there doesn't appear to be any significant milestones approaching for the players likely to be on show, perhaps the most likely is Scott Newman passing 1,000 f-c runs for the summer. So far, Scotty has made 862. For Kent, Robbie Joseph is one away from 50 championship wickets this season.


To follow...

OPPONENT DATE RESULT VENUE SURREY OPPONENT
Lancashire 27-30 Aug 2008 Match Abandoned Blackpool - -
Sussex 20-23 Aug 2008 Match Drawn The Oval 455 & 171-7d 328 & 154-3
Somerset 12-15 Aug 2008 Match Drawn Taunton 406-9 401-3d
Yorkshire 30 Jul - 2 Aug 2008 Match Drawn Headingley 204 & 264-3 414-9d
Durham 16-19 Jul 2008 Lost By 10 Wickets Guildford 220 & 323 410 & 134-0


If the pitch has something in it for the bowlers, you would have to say that Surrey are in with a chance. The key, as I say, is van Jaarsveld, who can't carry on taking hundreds and fifties off the Brown Caps, surely. I'm optimistic - am I ever anything else? - that said I am not suggesting for one moment that Surrey will avoid the drop. With Blackpool being completely washed out, it's too late for that I am afraid.


J Denly, R Key (capt), M van Jaarsveld, D Stevens, M Walker, G Jones (wk), R McLaren, J Tredwell, A Khan, R Joseph and M Saggers.


Graham Burgess and Peter Willey.

DATE RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY KENT
29 Jun - 2 Jul 2008 Lost By 4 Wickets The Oval Surrey Bat 397 & 130 270 & 260-6
8-9 Aug 2007 Won By 4 Wickets Canterbury Kent Bat 215 & 108-6 150 & 171
30 May - 2 Jun 2007 Lost By An Inns & 79 Runs Whitgift School Kent Field 166 & 319 564-5d
20-23 Jul 2005 Lost By 4 Wickets Guildford Surrey Bat 452-8d & 350 572 & 232-6
25-28 May 2005 Match Drawn Tunbridge Wells Kent Bat 324 & 333-4 262 & 467-4d
18-21 Aug 2004 Match Drawn Canterbury Kent Bat 402-8d 226 & 234-8
25-28 May 2004 Won By 7 Wickets The Oval Surrey Bat 479 & 174-3 239 & 413
4-6 Sep 2003 Lost By An Inns & 155 Runs Canterbury Kent Bat 125 & 255 535
2-5 Jul 2003 Won By 186 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 401 & 251-3d 352-5d & 114
19-22 Jul 2002 Won By 2 Wickets Canterbury Kent Bat 225 & 410-8 374 & 260
12-14 Jun 2002 Won By 9 Wickets The Oval Surrey Field 361 & 61-1 153 & 268
16-19 Aug 2001 Match Drawn Canterbury Surrey Bat 258 & 193-8 301
20-23 Apr 2001 Match Drawn The Oval Kent Bat 473 456-8d
23-26 May 2000 Match Drawn Canterbury Surrey Bat 348-8 -
11-14 May 2000 Match Drawn The Oval Kent Field 417 & 17-0d 115-2d & 255-8
2-5 Jun 1999 Won By An Inns & 28 Runs Tunbridge Wells Kent Field 271 71 & 172
29-31 May 1998 Won By An Inns & 30 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 342 86 & 226

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