With Surrey having gone undefeated in their last 13 championship meetings with Leicestershire and the Foxes being bowled out for 71 in their second dig by Glamorgan last week, I'm only guessing, but something tells me the Brit Oval outfit might just start tomorrow's four-dayer as favourites. But, as always, the question is this - Will Bill Gordon's pitch be a belter or will it provide an equal contest between bat and ball? If it's as good as the one he prepared for the corresponding fixture in 2009, it might be a good time to pull up with a niggle if you are a bowler and you are due to play in this contest.

One look at Leicestershire's averages will have Surrey's bowlers salivating. Other than Wayne White, who is sidelined with a broken finger, only two of the Foxes are averaging over thirty-five with the bat in this summer's champo - and one of them, James Taylor, owes his average of 40.09 to the unbeaten 206 he made against Middlesex at the weekend. The other is all-rounder and overseas signing Andrew McDonald, who averages 46.12 and has two championship hundreds.

Thankfully, the bowlers have come to Leicestershire's aid on a couple of occasions; like when they beat Northants at Grace Road and Derbyshire at Derby to kick-off their 2010 campaign in style. Veteran slow left-armer Claude Henderson is having his best season for ages with 20 championship scalps at 24.05 at runs apiece. Skipper Matthew Hoggard seems to have settled in well, with the ball at least, following his move from Yorkshire. Meanwhile, 19-year-old seamer Nathan Buck has continued to show immense promise.

In 16 first-class meetings with Leicestershire, Mark Ramprakash's career record for Middlesex and Surrey reads 1,735 runs at an average of 96.38, including 6 centuries. His last seven championship innings against them have gone 152, 55, 113, 22, 73, 85 and 274.

Chris Tremlett goes into this contest with 298 first-class career wickets, while Leicestershire's Jacques du Toit has 944 f-c career runs.

Surrey name an unchanged side from the one that drew with Glamorgan.

The weather forecast for the next four days could not be better. If there is something in the wicket for the seamers, I can only see a Surrey win. If it takes spin it could get interesting given the form Claude Henderson is in. But let's be positive again and say the hosts will triumph. If they do it will be their first championship victory at the Brit Oval since September 2007.  

W Jefferson, M Boyce, P Nixon, J Taylor, A McDonald, J du Toit, T New (wkt), C Henderson, M Hoggard (capt), N Buck and H Gurney.

Peter Hartley and John Steele.

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