SURREY V DERBYSHIRE at the Kia Oval (LVCC2), 1-4 SEPTEMBER 2015

Surrey want just 15 points from their last three championship games to be certain of promotion. With a possible 72 points on offer, the Oval outfit should do that even if someone ties their shoelaces together.

Derbyshire have endured a poor season in the County Championship, results-wise, but there have been some encouraging signs, not least the form of Billy Godleman (897 championship runs at an average of 49.83), who is on a run of three successive hundreds. 19-year-old leg-spinner Matt Critchley has also show he can hold a bat, hitting an unbeaten 137 against Northants back in May, as did seamer Alex Hughes, who hit a century of his own against Northants in the return fixture, at Northampton in July. Skipper Wayne Madsen remains a class act (729 runs at 45.56). It's just a shame that the rest of Derbyshire's top order batsmen have generally failed to come to the party.

Led by Mark Footitt (62 championship wickets at 23.33 runs apiece this summer), the Peakites attack have really struggled when Tony Palladino and Tom Taylor haven't been available. Wayne White, who heads the bowling averages with 17 scalps at just 16.41 has now thrown his lot in with Leicestershire, having been released early from his contract by Derbyshire. Much is expected of 21-year-old seamer Ben Cotton, but, for the time being, the jury is out as indeed it is as regards Alex Hughes and Shiv Thakor's pretentions with the ball.

Zafar Ansari, with 95, is closing in on his 100th first-class wicket while Arun Harinath (2,900) now finds himself approaching 3,000 f-c career runs. Turning to the Derbyshire squad, Wes Durston would start with 96 first-class wickets and Billy Godleman is set to make his 100th f-c appearance.

Jason Roy is unavailable owing to his being on England duty for the limited-overs series against Australia, but the good news is Zafar Ansari comes back into the squad after missing the drawn match at Bristol with a hamstring strain.

Derbyshire have been hugely disappointing this season. I honestly thought they had a seam attack potent enough to give the Peakites a tilt at promotion. As it is, they have notched up just three championship wins this summer and only one victory in six going into this contest. For Surrey, the weather at Bristol ended a run of four straight victories. With Kumar Sangakkara back to replace Jason Roy, it would seem a drop or two of rain is the best outcome Derbyshire can hope for.

B Slater, B Godleman, C Hughes, W Madsen (capt), W Durston, S Thakor, M Critchley, H Hosein (wk), T Palladino, B Cotton and B Footitt.

Mike Burns and Jeff Evans.

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