SOMERSET V SURREY at Taunton (LVCC1), 12-15 AUGUST 2008

With rain forecast to fall on the first three days it looks as though we'll be lucky if both sides have enough time to notch up some first innings bonus points.

This summer Somerset have relied upon Marcus Trescothick (956 championship runs at an average of 53.11) and Justin Langer (801 runs at 44.50) getting them off to a good start, but if that isn't possible Zander de Bruyn has been the man to shore things up. On the flip side Neil Edwards has struggled. Take away the 99 he scored against Sussex back in May and 24-year-old would only be averaging twenty in the championship. Not surprisingly, therefore, Edwards has missed the last three matches while Langer has moved up to open and de Bruyn has slotted in at number three. The key for Surrey's attack, therefore, is to make early inroads.

The absence of Edwards has resulted in Langer having a plethora of bowling options at his disposal. Charl Willoughby (37 championship wickets at 24.86 runs apiece) has been Langer's "go to" man in seaming conditions, while Ian Blackwell has come to the fore when the ball has gripped. But arguably the pick of the Cidernen's attack this summer has been Peter Trego, who has taken 22 wickets at an average of 20.27.

Jonathan Batty needs 7 dismissals for 500 first-class dismissals for Surrey, while Somerset's Marcus Trescothick is 44 runs away from a thousand runs in this season's County Championship.

Surrey take the same eleven to Taunton as travelled to Headingley, but have added the raw Stuart Meaker as backup. Jimmy Ormond misses the trip due to the health of his father.

These two sides have drawn their previous three contests at Taunton and just a glimpse at this week's weather forecast tells me that sequence is set to be maintained. 

J Langer (capt), M Trescothick, Z de Bruyn, J Hildreth, P Trego, I Blackwell, C Kieswetter (wk), A Thomas, S Jones, A Caddick and C Willoughby.

Jeff Evans and George Sharp.

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