Leicestershire have acquired the unhappy tag of being the whipping boys of Division Two. The Foxes, who didn't win a championship game last season and are yet to break their duck this, haven't tasted victory in the championship since the end of 2012, when they overcame Gloucestershire by 2 wickets at Grace Road.

Niall O'Brien has led the way with the bat this term, scoring 524 championship runs at an average of 47.63, while opener Angus Robson (525 at 35.00) has also broken through the five hundred run-mark for the season. Other than his 110 against Essex at Chelmsford, Ned Eckersley has been disappointing, although he remains far more reliable than Josh Cobb, Greg Smith and, more importantly, skipper and overseas player Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is averaging just 18.40.

Whilst not yet looking like an attack capable of skittling sides out twice, Leicestershire's bowling looks in finer fettle thanks to the resurgence of Nathan Buck, who has so far taken 26 championship wickets at 26.23 runs apiece. Rob Taylor, who can give the ball a tap when given licence, has done a decent job with the ball (taking 17 scalps at an average of 32.94). Charlie Shreck remains useful at this level, but the absence of a convincing spin threat could be the Foxes undoing at the Oval this week.

Gareth Batty is set to make his 200th first-class appearance, while Leicestershire's Ned Eckersley will be making his 50th. Eckersley (2,984) is also on the brink of 3,000 f-c career runs. For the hosts, Jason Roy (1,917) and Gary Wilson (1,936) are inching closer to the 2,000 run-mark.

Tom Curran will be rested after picking up a calf strain during the T20 victory over Glamorgan at Cardiff. Matt Dunn and Tim Linley are vying to be his replacement. Tomorrow's game will also see Hashim Amla take his bow as Surrey's overseas player. Next week, Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan will be opening for the Oval outfit.

It has taken a while, but Surrey are beginning to string performances together. Leicestershire, meanwhile, have now gone 24 championship games without a win. With the weather unlikely to have a say in this contest, my sanity would be questioned if I went for anything but a victory for the hosts.

G Smith, A Robson, N Eckersley, R Sarwan (capt), J Cobb, N O'Brien (wk), D Redfern, B Raine, R Jones, N Buck and C Shreck.

Neil Mallender and Alex Wharf.

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