SURREY V DURHAM at the Kia Oval (SSCC1), 1-4 MAY 2016

Champions in 2008 and 2009, and then again in 2013, Durham have an enviable record in Division One. In each of the last nine seasons the Riverside outfit have always returned a minimum of five championship victories. Ignoring the complete washout between these two four years ago, Durham go into this contest looking to extend a four-game winning streak over Surrey in the County Championship, whose last victory over them was back in 2007, when Rikki Clarke took the game by the scruff of the neck on the third and final morning to guide the Oval outfit home by six wickets.

In Durham's curtain-raiser against Somerset, Keaton Jennings became the first Durham batsman for 11 years to hit centuries in both innings of a match. Although they were more hundreds than he had managed in the previous two championship campaigns combined, the 23-year-old left-hander leapt to the top of this season's official player rankings. A fortnight on, he's still in the top ten. Click here. But, other than Jennings, only Mark Stoneman has shown any sort of form with the bat this term. Watch out for Jack Burnham, a fresh-faced 19-year-old, who has broken into Durham's top order; hitting half-centuries against Durham MCCU and Middlesex.

Only three members of the current Surrey squad average more than 20 with the bat against Durham in first-class cricket - Kumar Sangakkara (69.80) and Steven Davies (38.00) and Azhar Mahmood (27.00). The bowling is undoubtedly the Riversider's stronger suit. Chris Rushworth bagged an astonishing 83 championship victims last year, Graham Onions is already back amongst the wickets - seven so far, in 2016, at an average of just 19.00 - and the early-season inclusion of Ben Stokes has given them an added edge. The visitors will no doubt be looking for off-spinner Ryan Pringle to come into his own at the Oval; which is likely to favour the hosts' spin threat of Ansari and Batty.

Gareth Batty is set to make his 225th first-class appearance, while Steven Davies (9,996) is within touching distance of 10,000 f-c runs. Ravi Rampaul starts with 196 first-class wickets. If he plays, Mathew Pillans will be making his championship debut. Of the Durham contingent, Ben Stokes (4,944) goes into tomorrow's clash with a 5,000 f-c run in his sights. More significantly, Paul Collingwood (14,951) is just 49 runs shy of the 15,000-mark.

Mark Footitt could be out of action for six weeks, following the side strain he picked up during Somerset's visit to the Oval. Consequently, Matt Dunn and new signing Mathew Pillans are vying for the one available seamer's berth.

Even though it now feels we are emerging from a second winter, the forecasters are pointing to rain playing its part on day two. Assuming that's all it does, I might need to come off the fence and actually make a prediction one way or the other. The key, I believe, is the choice as to who replaces Mark Footitt, who managed just three wickets at an average of 75.00 before picking up his side strain. Dunn and Pillans must be champing at the bit and, based on Durham's start to the season, their batsmen could be lacking in confidence. I sense we're in for a fascinating contest. Prediction: Surrey to win it the hard way.

M.Stoneman, K.Jennings, S.Borthwick, J.Burnham, P.Collingwood (capt), B.Stokes, M.Richardson (wk), R.Pringle, B.Carse, C.Rushworth and G.Onions.

Steve O’Shaughnessy and Billy Taylor. Surrey don't have a particularly good record when these two have stood in championship matches involving the Oval outfit - with just two wins out of 11, both of them coming five years ago at Leicester and at home to Derbyshire (when Surrey clinched promotion by a solitary point). Combined leg-before-o-meter: 20.6% of dismissals.

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