SURREY LIONS v LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING at Whitgift School (CB40 League), 25 APRIL 2010

The first thing that strikes you about Lancashire's List A averages for 2009 is that the departure of Francois du Plessis could hurt their batting. The South African, who no longer satisfies the Home Office's rules on working visas, averaged 56.12 in one-day cricket last term. Over the winter, in has come Stephen Moore from Worcestershire, but he only made two fifties in 15 List A outings in 2009. Much will therefore depend on Ashwell Prince, Paul Horton, Mark Chilton and Daren Powell. Chilton will have happy memories of playing at Whitgift School - he made 115 in as many deliveries when the Lightning cruised to victory by 8 wickets there in 2004.

With the ball, skipper Glen Chapple only played in half of Lancashire's one-day matches last summer. When he did, however, he, along with Kyle Hogg, were as frugal as any seamer in the land. With 24 wickets at 23.33, Sajid Mahmood was the Lightning's joint leading wicket-taker, along with spinner Gary Keedy, who is currently sidelined with a broken collarbone. But watch out for Keedy's limited-overs understudy Stephen Parry - a 24-year-old slow left-armer, who, in 9 List A appearances has an economy rate of just 3.81.

Jade Dernbach is set to make his 50th List A appearance. Of the Lancashire squad, Glen Chapple goes into this contest with 1,987 List A career runs and 299 List A wickets, while Paul Horton has 993 List A runs.

Surrey have named a 14-man squad for tomorrow. Matthew Spriegel is likely to replace Arun Harinath and another former Whitgift boy, Laurie Evans, may have done enough in this week's 2nd XI victory over Middlesex to put him above Stewart Walters in the pecking order. When Evans played at Whitgift last year he struck an undefeated 36 off 27 balls against Derbyshire. Also, expect Rory Hamilton-Brown and Steven Davies to open the batting.

Surrey's recent limited-overs record against Lancashire is not the best. Other than the thrashing the Lions dished out at the Oval in 2002, you have to go back to the late Nineties to find Surrey's last purple patch against the Red Rose County in the shorter stuff. Not just for that reason, my prediction for the contest is a win to Lanky, but if it spins they will be pushed close by Surrey's five twirlers.

T Smith, S Moore, A Prince, M Chilton, P Horton, D Powell, L Sutton (wk), G Chapple (capt), S Parry, K Hogg and S Mahmood.

Rob Bailey and Neil Bainton.

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