LANCASHIRE V SURREY at Old Trafford (LVCC1), 2-5 MAY 2007

Surrey are now 25-1 to win the championship, but a victory over 3-1 rated Lancashire would see those odds alter dramatically. They say there's no such thing as a poor bookmaker. It's not hard to see why when one considers that, since the move to two divisions, no team has taken the title after losing the opening two matches; neither has a promoted side won the championship in their first year back in Division One. Surrey's odds should be 33-1 if not fifties when you take those facts into consideration.

For the third match running, Surrey's championship opponents have had the best part of a week without any competitive cricket, so one expects that the hosts, who drew with Warwickshire at Edgbaston in their one and only outing thus far, will be fresh and raring to go. The only good news as far as the visitors are concerned is that World Cup quintet, James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Brad Hodge, Sajid Mahmood and Muttiah Muralitharan are set to sit this fixture out.

It means that 22-year-old seamer Oliver Newby keeps his place, as does the economical Kyle Hogg. Slow left-armer Gary Keedy sent down a phenomenal 74.3 overs at Edgbaston, but was rewarded with match figures of nine for 232. However, it was Newby who impressed, by picking up three scalps in each dig, including those of Darren Maddy and Jonathan Trott twice. The red rose county's new-ball duo of Dominic Cork and Glen Chapple may have come away empty handed from the Warwickshire clash, but the Brown Caps will be well aware that last term they took 42 championship wickets at 25.50 runs apiece and 41 at 27.41 respectively. 

With the bat, the home side will miss Hodge, but their two leading-makers last year, Mal Loye and Stuart Law are both available. Law's first-class record against Surrey is worth a mention - 1,042 runs at an average of 65.12. At Edgbaston, Loye made amends for a first innings failure with an unbeaten 105 in the second dig, but his side would have been staring defeat in the face had it not been for Paul Horton and Luke Sutton's 147-run fifth wicket partnership first up. Sutton, who had flashes of brilliance with the bat in 2006, hit his straps early by making a dogged 111.

To date, Mark Ramprakash has made 89 first-class hundreds. Four of them have been against Lancashire, but none of them have come at Old Trafford. Rikki Clarke has now taken 98 f-c wickets. Jimmy Ormond's tally for Surrey is 198 f-c wickets. Of the Lancashire contingent, Dominic Cork has claimed 198 catches in f-c cricket. Gary Keedy has taken 44 f-c wickets against Surrey. Stuart Law has made 19 f-c hundreds for Lancashire. Luke Sutton's run tally in all f-c cricket stands at 4,875.  

James Benning has been rewarded for his superb 152 against Gloucestershire in the FP Trophy on Sunday by being included in the Surrey squad for this trip. Richard Clinton and Neil Saker have also both forced their way into the 13-man line-up. Azhar Mahmood misses out due to a back injury and fast bowler Jade Dernbach is still recovering from a thigh injury. Saker, rather than Benning, appears to be the favourite to get Azhar's spot.

Surrey have only recorded three championship wins at Old Trafford since the heady days of Surridge, May, Lock, Laker et al, back in the 1950s, so, I'm not hopeful. However, if the Brown Caps can keep the home side under 350 at the first time of asking - which would be a "first" as far as this season is concerned - then they would have every chance.

M Chilton (capt), I Sutcliffe, M Loye, S Law, P Horton, L Sutton (wk), G Chapple, D Cork, T Smith, O Newby and G Keedy.

Peter Hartley and Roy Palmer.

GO TO:




BACK TO: