SURREY BROWN CAPS V ESSEX EAGLES at the Brit Oval (FPT), 11 MAY 2008

The weather forecast for tomorrow is one we have awaited for some time. However, with Chelsea, who are hoping to clinch the Premier League title, playing at home, and doubtless many other families planning to spend Sunday on the coast, it will be interesting to see what sort of turnout there is at the Brit Oval for this mouth-watering clash between the up and down Surrey Brown Caps and the Essex Eagles.

Essex are the only unbeaten side in the South Eastern Division of the Friends Provident Trophy, mind you they have played two less games than their rivals. With the bat, Ravi Bopara has made half-centuries on both outings, skipper Mark Pettini has hit a hundred against the Kent Spitfires, while Grant Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate have chipped in admirably. With wicketkeeper James Foster making quick runs at the conclusion to both of the Eagles' innings, Surrey's bowlers may well have their work cut out on an Oval strip that is likely to be overflowing with runs.

With the ball, the dangers are the irascible Andre Nel and the improving ten Doeschate, who, let's not forget, knocked the stuffing out of the Brown Caps in last year's corresponding fixture by accounting for Mark Butcher and Azhar Mahmood on his way to figures of 7-1-26-2. Masters, Wright, Middlebrook and Bopara look set to comprise the supporting cast.

Click here for the Surrey v Essex List A Records sheet.

Jonathan Batty has 198 List A dismissals and is 13 runs away from his 2,500th List A run. Alistair Brown has 19 one-day hundreds. Jade Dernbach has 46 wickets in List A cricket. Chris Jordan looks set to make his tenth one-day appearance. Mark Ramprakash has 14 one-day hundreds against his name.

Chris Schofield is out with a fractured thumb, which he picked up in Thursday night's victory over the Sussex Sharks, but Chris Jordan is fit again after a niggle to the back. Saqlain Mushtaq has been included in the squad in case the hosts want to call upon a front-line spinner, rather than two part-time ones in the shape of Usmal Afzaal and Alistair Brown. If Saqlain plays, however, it will be interesting to see who misses out. My money would be on Scott Newman, who, despite hitting 43 off 41 balls down at Hove, was guilty of a number of lapses in the field.

Since recording back-to-back wins against Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Glamorgan and Kent in last summer's NatWest Pro40 League, Surrey have gone lost one, won one, lost one, won one, lost one, won one. So, that sequence would seem to point the way to a defeat tomorrow. The other thing that worries me is that the Brown Caps have not managed to keep their opponents to below 230 in one-day cricket since their visit to Canterbury on 4 September last term.

M Pettini (capt), V Chopra, J Gallian, R Bopara, G Flower, R ten Doeschate, J Foster (wk), J Middlebrook, C Wright, A Nel and D Masters.

Martin Bodenham and Vanburn Holder.

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