LANCASHIRE V SURREY at Old Trafford (SSCC1), 25-28 SEPTEMBER 2017

Third plays host to second. For a brief period, Lancashire were the only team who could, conceivably, have challenged Essex for the County Championship crown. But, after trouncing Warwickshire at the end of August, an honourable draw with the champions elect and a surprise defeat at the hands of Somerset saw their hopes fizzle out.

Rather uniquely, a regular wicketkeeper is currently the Red Rose outfit's leading run-maker. Alex Davies, who also opens the batting, has thus far hit 832 four-day runs at an average of 39.61 in addition to effecting 47 dismissals with the gloves. Davies's opening partner Haseeb Hameed is out with a fractured finger, but Liam Livingstone (whose name should be mentioned at least as often as Hameed's in terms of England) is averaging 45.81 and Shiv Chanderpaul has made a creditable 787 championship runs at 52.46.

But, taken as a whole, Lancashire's batting has lacked consistency. Indeed, this is underlined by Dane Vilas who, other than his 244 against Hampshire at Old Trafford in June, has made just 416 runs at an average of 23.11. The championship form of Jos Buttler (17.16) and Luke Proctor (11.83) has been so poor they have only made four appearances apiece in Division One this summer.

Questions will also be asked, when the dust has settled on the 2017 campaign, how a seam attack of Ryan McLaren (45 wickets at 23.40 runs apiece in the championship), Kyle Jarvis (who is averaging 23.60) and, when available, James Anderson did not set more games up for the Red Roses; especially given the emergence of 20-year-old leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson (12 victims at 20.33) backed up, at the other end, by Stephen Parry's slow left-arm.

Surrey v Lancashire - First-Class Records Sheet


Rikki Clarke goes into the final game of the season with 9,906 first-class career runs, which is a tad short of Kumar Sangakkara's haul. With 20,862, the Sri Lankan could well finish up breaking through the 21,000 barrier. Providing he makes at least 58 runs, Sanga will average over 100 in this season's County Championship. Rory Burns, with 978, is close to joining Sangakkara and Mark Stoneman as the only batsmen to make 1,000 runs in Division One this term. Of those in Lancashire's ranks, Dane Vilas will start with 5,999 f-c career runs. On the season, Alex Davies has 962 f-c runs and Ryan McLaren 46 f-c wickets.


Tom Curran and Jason Roy remain on England one-day duty, therefore Surrey name the same squad as per last week's for the visit of Somerset to the Oval, which ended in a welcome six-wicket victory.

OPPONENT DATE RESULT VENUE SURREY OPPONENT
Somerset 19-22 Sep 2017 Won By 6 Wickets The Oval 433 & 146-4 269 & 306
Yorkshire 12-15 Sep 2017 Match Drawn The Oval 592 394 & 281-2
Hampshire 5-8 Sep 2017 Match Drawn Rose Bowl 200 & 280-4 290
Middlesex 28-31 Aug 2017 Match Drawn The Oval 280 247 & 214-7
Somerset 7-10 Aug 2017 Match Drawn Taunton 345 436


Surrey's recent record in County Championship matches falling in September now stands at P14 W2 D6 L6, but the Oval outfit will be keen to show how much they've improved since their last championship visit to Old Trafford, which ended in an innings defeat. Nevertheless, Lancashire are a far more daunting prospect when they're playing at home in the County Championship. Their last victory on the road, so to speak, came against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay in July 2015. Since then, the Red Roses' Champo record at Old Trafford reads P14 W6 D8 L0. But if there is to a result one way or the other, much will depend on the unpredictable Manchester weather. With a forecast that suggests more than a day's play will be lost to rain, I'm predicting... draw.


A.Davies (wk), R.Jones, L.Livingstone, S.Croft (capt), S.Chanderpaul, D.Vilas, R.McLaren, S.Parry, T.Bailey, K.Jarvis and M.Parkinson.


Peter Hartley and Neil Mallender.

DATE RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY LANCASHIRE
14-17 Apr 2017 Match Drawn The Oval Lancashire Bat 319 & 323-3d 470
23-26 Aug 2016 Won By 10 Wickets The Oval Lancashire Bat 480 & 39-0 287 & 230
22-24 May 2016 Lost By An Inns & 96 Runs Old Trafford Surrey Bat 191 & 107 394
14-17 Sep 2015 Match Drawn Old Trafford Surrey Bat 480 & 283-7d 272 & 195-7
31 May - 3 Jun 2015 Match Drawn The Oval Lancashire Field 448 & 186-0d 429
11-14 Sep 2012 Match Drawn Liverpool Lancashire Field 367 142-2d
11-14 Jul 2012 Match Drawn Guildford Surrey Field 430-5 485-7d
27-30 Aug 2008 Abandoned Blackpool No toss made - - -
16-19 Apr 2008 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 537-5d 241-6
19-22 Sep 2007 Won By 24 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 427-9d & 295-5d 234 & 464
2-4 May 2007 Lost By 7 Wickets Old Trafford Surrey Bat 284 & 120 315 & 90-3
2-4 Sep 2004 Won By 147 Runs Old Trafford Surrey Bat 369 & 185 278 & 129
11-13 Aug 2004 Won By An Inns & 55 Runs Whitgift School Lancashire Bat 525 210 & 260
26-29 Aug 2003 Lost By 8 Wickets Old Trafford Surrey Bat 337 & 138 341 & 135-2
18-21 Apr 2003 Match Drawn The Oval Lancashire Bat 280 & 379-6 599
31 May - 3 Jun 2002 Match Drawn Old Trafford Surrey Bat 382 & 246-6d 194 & 112-3
8-11 May 2002 Won By 3 Wickets The Oval Lancashire Bat 216 & 309-7 320 & 200
29 Jun - 2 Jul 2001 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 248 & 320-9d 276 & 170-2
25-28 Apr 2001 Abandoned Old Trafford No toss made - - -
13-16 Sep 2000 Match Drawn Old Trafford Lancashire Bat 359 324 & 304-9d

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