SURREY V MIDDLESEX at the Kia Oval (SSCC1), 28-31 AUGUST 2017

Fourth plays host to sixth as Championship cricket returns to the Oval after an eight-week absence. Even though it's Surrey who lie fourth in the table and Middlesex sixth, one senses there is more riding on this game for the hosts, who have just the one championship win to the North Londoners' pair of successes (over Yorkshire at Lord's and away to Warwickshire, at the start of July, in what turned out to be a thriller).

Despite the absence of Dawid Malan, Middlesex will be bringing a decent amount of batting firepower with them. Adam Voges is averaging 57.50 in the Champo and Sam Robson 50.54. Stevie Eskinazi has made 727 championship runs an an average of 48.46 this summer plus Paul Stirling (46.50) has seized every opportunity that has come his way. The only real concerns for the North Londoners is the inconsistency of James Franklin (28.66) and wicketkeeper John Simpson (25.53) with the willow.

The bowling has been more workmanlike than outstanding this summer for the defending champions, but no one can doubt the potency, on paper, of an early innings attack that reads Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh (24 championship wickets at 30.41 runs apiece this term). Also, as every Surrey fan knows, under-estimate the off-spin of Ollie Rayner at your peril. The 31-year-old may not have set this season's County Championship alight, nevertheless his first-class record against the Oval outfit is 39 wickets at an average of 20.56.

Surrey v Middlesex - First-Class Records Sheet

Scott Borthwick goes into this contest with 199 first-class wickets, while Rikki Clarke has 394. If he plays, 19-year-old Wimbledon opener and former Whitgift School alumni Ryan Patel will be making his professional debut.

Surrey will be forced to field a much-changed side. Mark Stoneman is on international duty, Kumar Sangakkara and Ravi Rampaul are fulfilling their Caribbean Premier League commitments plus Tom Curran (back), Aaron Finch (calf) and Arun Harinath (side strain) are all ruled out through injury. Added to this, Mathew Pillans's loan to Leicestershire continues.

Draw, purely on the basis of the weather forecast for day three, which as good as says "don't even think about playing any cricket this Wednesday". If Middlesex are kept at bay, Surrey's unbeaten record at the Oval in the County Championship - going back to the final game of 2014 - will extend to 18 matches. In that time, the hosts have tasted victory in seven, but on only three occasions out of the last eleven. But Surrey's record against their North London rivals could do with an injection of assurance - their only victory over Middlesex since 2005 was in 2012, by eight runs.

S.Robson, N.Compton, S.Eskinazi, A.Voges, P.Stirling, J.Franklin (capt), J.Simpson (wk), T.Roland-Jones, O.Rayner, T.Murtagh and S.Finn.

Paul Baldwin and Michael Gough.

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