LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES V SURREY BROWN CAPS at Leicester (Pro40 Division 2), 15 SEPTEMBER 2007

Even if Surrey were to win this contest, the key Division Two match-up is Middlesex's visit to Somerset. If the Crusaders come away from Taunton with a win tomorrow night, it is likely that they - not Kent or Surrey - will have claimed third place and, with it, a home playoff. The bad news is that Somerset are already assured of promotion, whatever happens against Middlesex, and that the Brown Caps have won just once in four one-day visits to Grace Road.

Three Foxes batsmen go into tomorrow's contest with a realistic chance of making it 500 runs for the season in List A cricket - HD Ackerman, Paul Nixon and John Sadler. In recent weeks, however, all-rounder James Allenby has responded to being placed higher up in the batting order by hitting two half-centuries in the Pro40 League. Other than his career best 109 not out against Derbyshire in the FP Trophy, opener John Maunders has not had much to write home about this term. The only other Leicestershire batsmen to be averaging over twenty in one-day cricket, Jeremy Snape, is currently in South Africa with the England Twenty20 party.

Wickets have been in short supply all summer. Allenby, a 25-year-old Australian-born seamer, leads the way with just 13 List A victims at an average of 20.84, while slow left-armer Claude Henderson, with eight scalps, has led the pack in the Pro40. For economy, the Foxes have looked to David Masters; not least because the West Indies' Jerome Taylor has proved a liability in the limited-overs arena. Sutton-born Ryan Cummins and off-spinner Jigar Naik look set to offer support tomorrow.


Mohammad Akram has 148 List A wickets.


Surrey have added Matt Nicholson, Mohammad Akram and Stewart Walters to the eleven that lost to Somerset by five runs on Tuesday night.

OPPONENT DATE COMP RESULT VENUE SURREY OPPONENT
Somerset 11 Sep 2007 NL Lost By 5 Runs The Oval 253-9 (40) 258-9 (40)
Kent 4 Sep 2007 NL Won By 1 Wicket Canterbury 160-9 (40) 159-8 (40)
Glamorgan 27 Aug 2007 NL Won By 53 Runs The Oval 280-8 (40) 227 (40)
Yorkshire 26 Aug 2007 NL Won By 5 Wickets Scarborough 147-5 (29.1) 145 (33.3)
Derbyshire 19 Aug 2007 NL Won By 24 Runs The Oval 102-2 (13) 227-7 (35)


Don't ask me why, but even though Surrey look the stronger of the two sides on paper, I've just got a feeling that Leicestershire - who have a good record at home to the Brown Caps in one-day cricket - will pull off a surprise.


J Maunders, H Ackerman, J Sadler, J Allenby, P Nixon (capt, wk), T New, C Henderson, D Masters, J Taylor, R Cummins and J Naik.


Ian Gould and John Steele.

DATE COMP RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY LEICS
6 Aug 2006 NL Won By 33 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 275-7 (40) 242 (36)
9 Aug 2005 NL Won By 6 Wickets The Oval Leicestershire Bat 259-4 (39.3) 258-5 (45)
15 May 2005 NL Lost By 60 Runs Leicester Leicestershire Bat 134 (40.1) 194-9 (45)
7 Aug 2004 T20 Lost By 7 Wickets Edgbaston Surrey Bat 168 (20) 169-3 (19.1)
21 Sep 2003 NL Lost By 168 Runs The Oval Surrey Field 115 (22) 283-9 (45)
20 Aug 2003 NL Won By 7 Wickets Leicester Leicestershire Bat 218-3 (28.2) 217-8 (45)
8 Jul 2001 NL Lost By 128 Runs Leicester Surrey Field 112 (35.4) 240 (45)
20 May 2001 NL Lost By 4 Wickets The Oval Surrey Bat 230-4 (45) 231-6 (44.3)
13 Jul 1998 NL Lost By 44 Runs The Oval Leicestershire Bat 212-9 (38) 252-9 (38)
9 Jun 1998 B&H Lost By 20 Runs Leicester Surrey Field 291-8 (50) 311-4 (50)
10 Jun 1997 B&H Won By 130 Runs The Oval Leicestershire Field 308-8 (50) 178 (45.3)
25 May 1997 NL Won By 5 Wickets Leicester Surrey Field 238-5 (36.4) 234-7 (40)
16 Jun 1996 NL Won By 10 Wickets The Oval Leicestershire Bat 50-0 (4.3) 48 (22)
30 Jul 1995 NL Lost By 5 Wickets Leicester Surrey Bat 180 (38.2) 181-5 (37.1)

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