SURREY V HAMPSHIRE at the Kia Oval (Royal London One-Day Cup), 14 MAY 2017

Prior to yesterday's dramatic loss to Glamorgan, Hampshire appeared to be coming good just at the right time. But perhaps their ship to the play-offs has now sailed. Like Surrey, they need a victory at the Oval tomorrow, as well as a win in their eighth and final group game to stay in this year's Royal London. For Surrey, even if they taste victory tomorrow and then beat Gloucestershire, they could do with Hampshire overcoming Sussex in the final round of group fixtures. If you're a betting man, though, you'd probably say, at this stage, it looks like the South Group's three to go forward to the knockout phase will be Essex, Somerset and Sussex - funnily enough the only teams, to date, who have inflicted defeat on the Oval outfit.

For Hampshire's captain, James Vince to hit 178 off 138 balls against Glamorgan and, yet, end up on the losing side, must be a kick in the teeth. Vince has now made 443 runs (at an average of 88.60) in this season's Royal London One-Day Cup. Only Glamorgan's Colin Ingram has more. South African Kolpak signing Rilee Rossouw has also added some oomph at the top of Hampshire's batting order since returning from a hand injury, making 191 in two innings at a strike rate of 136.42. In a nutshell, then, the key to Surrey winning this contest is not just early wickets, but, with George Bailey also averaging 41.75, three or four early wickets.

Given Hampshire's biggest threats with the ball, in the Royal London, have arguably been leg-spinner Mason Crane and slow left-armer Liam Dawson, one assumes Lee Fortis will prepare an Oval wicket that favours seam rather than spin. Twenty-year-old Crane has taken 14 RLODC wickets at 25.21 runs apiece, while Dawson has 9 scalps at 29.55. Reece Topley can also boast having notched nine poles, but whereas Dawson has conceded just 4.43 runs per over, Topley has gone for 6.59.

If you're looking for Surrey form horses against Hampshire, look no further than Scott Borthwick, who averages 41.50 with the bat and 15.75 with the ball in List A matches against the Rose Bowl outfit.

Surrey v Hampshire - List A Records Sheet

Ravi Rampaul needs four more scalps to reach 250 List A wickets. If he plays, Hampshire's Gareth Berg will be making his 75th List A appearance.

Still no Jade Dernbach in the Surrey squad. This is now becoming a big worry. If ever they needed him in this 50-over campaign, it's tomorrow, against one of the best top orders in the country. At least Kumar Sangakkara is fit again, which, I hope, won't be a case of famous last words. 

Since that epic Cheltenham & Gloucester quarter-final clash in July 2005 - when Shane Watson (132) put Jonathan Batty's 158 not out into context - Surrey and Hampshire have contested just two List A games at the Oval. Tomorrow's weather forecast is now saying there's only a 10% change of precipitation - so, all being well, there shouldn't be another implausible Duckworth-Lewis calculation, like against Kent yesterday and Somerset last season. Michael Di Venuto has said: "It's just a matter of us winning now. We know what we have to do. If you look back to last year, we seem to play our best when we're under that sort of pressure." That'll do for me, Diva - Surrey win.

T.Alsop, R.Rossouw, J.Vince (capt), G.Bailey, L.Dawson, S.Ervine, L.McManus (wk), G.Berg, K.Abbott, M.Crane and R.Topley.

Neil Bainton and Graham Lloyd.

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