KENT V SURREY at Beckenham (SSCC1), 20-23 MAY 2019

Fifth plays host to sixth in a match that could set the tone of the remainder of the County Championship campaign for both teams. Kent have one victory under their belts, but have very much been second best in their other two championship outings while Surrey, despite being one of three undefeated teams in Division One, have conceded first innings deficits in each of their opening two outings for the first time since 2013.

A man to keep an eye on for the future is Kent's Zak Crawley. The 21-year-old from Bromley has started the season with a bang. Now in his third season, he goes into tomorrow's clash at Beckenham averaging 49.62 with the bat in first-class cricket. To underline Crawley's rapid rise, he averaged 19.57 in 2017 and 30.65 last term. He said recently that a winter playing Grade cricket in Sydney has given him added steel. He said: “Coming back to play in county cricket, it seems really quiet out in the middle by comparison.”

But Crawley hasn't been the only promising player to be amongst the runs for Kent this term. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Robinson, 20, is averaging 59.20, after making hundreds against Warwickshire and Yorkshire. But apart from Darren Stevens chipping in, the remainder of Kent's batting line-up are yet to produce the goods with the willow this season. Dickson is averaging 14.16, Blake and Kuhn are both averaging 21.00 and Bell-Drummond 23.80.

With the ball, Harry Podmore (average 23.13), Mitch Claydon (24.33) and Matt Milnes (25.26) are the hop county's joint leading championship wicket-takers with 15 scalps apiece. With spin being largely absent, the support cast has comprised medium-pacers Bell-Drummond and Stevens. The latter is, of course, a scourge of the Oval outfit. In the championship, Darren Stevens has 39 Surrey wickets at an average of 21.56. 

Rikki Clarke is the only current Surrey player with a first-class hundred against Kent. And Ben Foakes (53.00) is alone in averaging more than 33 with the willow against the hop county.

Surrey v Kent - First-Class Records Sheet


Sam Curran (1,952) and Morne Morkel (1,933) are approaching 2,000 first-class career runs, while Ben Foakes (4,984) is closing in on 5,000. Matt Dunn, if he plays, will start with 99 f-c wickets. Of the Kent contingent, Daniel Bell-Drummond has 4,998 runs, Mitch Claydon 295 first-class career wickets and Harry Podmore 93 victims with the ball.


Sam Curran and Matt Dunn are the new names in Surrey's 14-man squad. Jade Dernbach (calf) and Amar Virdi (side) are described as not yet being fully fit. But, thankfully, Dean Elgar is, despite missing some of the championship visit to Taunton, owing to kidney stones.  

OPPONENT DATE RESULT VENUE SURREY OPPONENT
Somerset 14-17 May 2019 Match Drawn Taunton 380 & 255-8 398
Essex 11-14 Apr 2019 Match Drawn The Oval 395 & 324-6d 448 & 0-0
Essex 24-27 Sep 2018 Lost By 1 Wicket The Oval 67 & 541 477-8d & 134-9
Somerset 18-21 Sep 2018 Match Drawn Taunton 485 146 & 168-3
Worcestershire 10-13 Sep 2018 Won By 3 Wickets Worcester 268 & 274-7 336 & 203


While they're saying there could be some rain around tomorrow, the weather forecast looks good for days two, three and four. Does that mean we can expect a result? Well, the previous four-day championship game at Beckenham before this one, in 2017, produced 1,453 runs and just 20 wickets - which works out to be an average of 72.65. Kent's Sean Dickson hit a career best 318 in the hosts first dig of 701-7 declared. Their opponents' (Northants) first innings then featured three centurions. Verdict - Surrey's international-class bowling attack to prevail, but expect a drama-filled day four, because any target is capable of being chased down at Beckenham.


S.
Dickson, Z.Crawley, D.Bell-Drummond, H.Kuhn (capt), O.Robinson (wk), A.Blake, W.Mulder, D.Stevens, H.Podmore, M.Milnes and M.Claydon.


Graham Lloyd and Alex Wharf.

DATE RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY KENT
13-16 Jul 2015 Won By 6 Wickets The Oval Surrey Field 311 & 128-4 336 & 99
24-27 May 2015 Won By 3 Wickets Beckenham Kent Bat 292 & 196-7 282 & 204
20-23 Jul 2014 Lost By 89 Runs Guildford Surrey Field 398 & 213 408 & 292
4-7 May 2014 Lost By 8 Wickets Canterbury Surrey Bat 285 & 203 435 & 54-2
10-12 Aug 2011 Lost By 265 Runs Canterbury Kent Bat 127 & 104 266 & 230
10-13 Jul 2011 Won By 21 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 387 & 184 250 & 300
28-31 Aug 2009 Lost By 6 Wickets Canterbury Surrey Bat 423 & 293 517 & 200-4
10-13 Jul 2009 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 386 & 170-3 620-7d
4-7 Sep 2008 Match Drawn Canterbury Kent Field 307-9d 160-1
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 Sch 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 Tun' 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

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