LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES V SURREY LIONS at Leicester (NCL1), 20 AUGUST 2003 (Day/Night)

Tomorrow night these sides will be meeting for only the third time in five seasons in one-day cricket. The records books would suggest that the home side hold the advantage, having won their last four limited-over meetings with the Oval outifit, but, as I say, some of those games are consigned firmly to history.

Leicestershire have really fallen on hard times and, to make matters worse, some of their players have been in the wars recently. Trevor Ward misses out with a suspected broken finger, whilst Rob Cunliffe, Virender Sehwag and Darren Stevens have all been told they will not play again this season.

The Foxes go into the encounter having lost three out of their last four National Cricket League games. Only two of the batsmen they will have on show is currently averaging over thirty in the National League - Brad Hodge (368 runs at an average of 30.66) and Darren Maddy. Surrey have will field at least twice as many.

To be fair, a number of Leicestershire's matches have been low-scoring affairs. Consequently, Phil DeFreitas, Jeremy Snape and Vasbert Drakes have all bowled creditably. But the attack has weaknesses, none more so than 25-year-old seamer David Masters, who has not yet managed to find a consistent line and length since joining the Grace Road outfit from Kent.

In terms of up and coming landmarks, Mark Ramprakash is poised to make his 50th limited-overs appearance for Surrey and Graham Thorpe needs one more hundred to record his tenth in one-day cricket for the club. Tomorrow is also Jimmy Ormond's 26th birthday.

So much seems to depend on the toss, but the season isn't even over and the Foxes are licking their wounds. One senses the Lions could be eyeing them up for a mauling.

Surrey are without Martin Bicknell following his inclusion in the England squad for the Fourth Test against South Africa, alongside county team-mates Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart. One of Ian Salisbury or Alex Tudor are expected to deputise.

P DeFreitas (capt), J Maunders, B Hodge, D Maddy, P Nixon (wk), J Snape, D Brandy, V Drakes, J Sadler, D Masters and C Dagnall.

8 Jul 2001	NL	Lost By 128 Runs	Leicester
20 May 2001	NL	Lost By 4 Wickets	The Oval
13 Jul 1998	NL	Lost By 44 Runs	The Oval
9 Jun 1998	B&H	Lost By 20 Runs	Leicester
10 Jun 1997	B&H	Won By 130 Runs	The Oval
25 May 1997	NL	Won By 5 Wickets	Leicester
16 Jun 1996	NL	Won By 10 Wickets	The Oval
30 Jul 1995	NL	Lost By 5 Wickets	Leicester
27 Jun 1994	NL	Lost By 122 Runs	The Oval
11 Jul 1993	NL	No Result	Leicester
7 Jul 1993	NWT	Won By 7 Wickets	Leicester
16 Aug 1992	NL	Lost By 5 Wickets	The Oval
30 Apr - 1 May 1992	B&H	Won By 6 Wickets	Leicester
16 Jun 1991	NL	Won By 51 Runs	Leicester
12 Aug 1990	NL	Won By 69 Runs	The Oval

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