SURREY LIONS V LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING at Whitgift School (TSL1), 15 AUGUST 2004

In the last five years only one county has avoided relegation in the 45-over league with less than seven victories. This summer the Surrey Lions have scored four, including three out of three prior to Monday night's washout against the Hampshire Hawks. With four to play - three of which are on the road and two under lights - they would appear to need three more successes. An upset against the Lightning at Whitgift tomorrow would, therefore, leave the Lions no margin for error.

It probably does not help that Lancashire will be out to avenge their defeat in the championship game as well as the one-run loss to the Lions in last Saturday's Twenty20 Cup semi-final, in which Dominic Cork took them to the brink of victory only to then fall under the spell of Adam Hollioake's medium-paced all-sorts.

Surrey will be relieved that Andrew Flintoff and Mal Loye will be missing from the visitors' line-up. Nevertheless, the Red Roses boast some big-hitters for whom the school ground will seem like a tennis court.

Even if they failed to show it in the week, Dinesh Mongia and Carl Hooper, in particular, are more than capable of launching the ball into the Brighton Road. But before doing so they will rely on Mark Chilton (421 at an average of 35.08 in one-day cricket this summer) and Iain Sutcliffe to provide them with a decent platform.

The Lightning's bowling attack has given little away in one-day cricket this summer. Sajid Mahmood (26 List A wickets at 19.23 runs apiece) is the main danger with the new ball, plus Cork is also never be too far away from the action.

Alistair Brown needs 60 more to reach 6,000 one-day career runs and Alex Tudor is three away from 100 'List A' wickets.

A big test for Jonathan Batty's men, but on the positive side they have not lost for a while in this competition and have generally found Lancashire to be poor one-day travellers in recent years. Verdict: The Red Rose county to lose to Surrey for the third time in the space of eight days.

Expect three changes. Alex Tudor, who says he feels like Surrey's lucky mascot in the totesport League, returns; as does Mark Butcher following his calf injury. Adam Hollioake, who is concentrating solely on one-day cricket now, also comes in. The likely casualties from the side that won by an innings in the championship yesterday are Richard Clinton, Tim Murtagh and Martin Bicknell.

I Sutcliffe, P Horton, M Chilton, C Hooper (capt), D Mongia, C Schofield, G Chapple, J Haynes (wk), D Cork, S Mahmood and K Hogg.

7 Aug 2004	T20	Won By 1 Run	Edgbaston
30 Jun 2002	NL	No Result	Old Trafford
12 May 2002	NL	Won By 6 Wickets	The Oval
26 Jul 2000	NWT	Lost By 8 Wickets	The Oval
17 Jun 1998	NL	Lost By 4 Wickets	Old Trafford
27-28 May 1998	B&H	Won By 5 Wickets	The Oval
14 Sep 1997	NL	Won By 5 Wickets	The Oval
11 Aug 1996	NL	Won (Scoring Rate)	Old Trafford
3 Sep 1995	NL	Lost By 6 Wickets	The Oval
6 Jul 1994	NWT	Won By 125 Runs	The Oval
8 May 1994	NL	Won By 1 Run	The Oval
6 Jun 1993	NL	Won By 165 Runs	The Oval
11 May 1993	B&H	Lost By 6 Runs	The Oval
26 Jul 1992	NL	Lost (Scoring Rate)	Old Trafford
27 May 1992	B&H	Won By 75 Runs	The Oval
18 Aug 1991	NL	Won By 21 Runs	Old Trafford
30 May 1990	B&H	Lost By 46 Runs	Old Trafford
6 May 1990	NL	Lost By 7 Wickets	The Oval
24 Apr 1990	B&H	Lost By 76 Runs	Old Trafford

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