SURREY V NOTTINGHAMSHIRE at the Kia Oval (Royal London One-Day Cup, Semi-Final), 7 SEPTEMBER 2015

The team that topped Group A plays host to the side that headed Group B. Surely, whoever wins this one must start the final against Gloucestershire at Lord's, on September 19, as favourites?

The fact that this was the plum semi-final clash makes the ECB's decision to stage the game tomorrow, rather than today is, quite frankly, ludicrous. The knock-on effect is that Alex Hales and James Taylor of Notts, not to mention Jason Roy, have all been refused leave from England’s one-day squad to take part.

With Sky’s TV schedule determining that the semis should played on successive days - one on Sunday and the other on Monday - it would have made far more sense (with England playing at Lord’s on Saturday and Old Trafford on Tuesday) for the semi-final at the Oval to be played on Sunday and the other semi, at Leeds, to have been inked in for Monday.

Tuesday’s ODI in Manchester doesn’t start until 2.00pm, so, if the ECB done the obvious thing, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid could also have turned out for Yorkshire on Monday and not had too far to travel the next day.

Roy, Hales and Taylor have been ever present in this year’s Royal London One-Day Cup. Looking at Notts averages, Hales and Taylor have made 40% of their team’s runs, which, in theory, favours Surrey. The inclusion of Stuart Broad evens things up a bit, but it seems absurd given that he has been told to rest by England.

Arguably the biggest danger for Surrey is Dan Christian, who has hit two half-centuries in four visits to the crease in this year's Royal London. The 32-year-old Australian has also made his runs at a fair old lick. But no one in their right mind would discount Samit Patel (233 runs at an average of 46.60) and Riki Wessels (396 runs at 49.50) having a hand in the outcome.

Patel has also featured with the ball, taking 13 wickets at 17.30 runs apiece. 24-year-old seamer Jake Ball has weighed in with 11 scalps, but, thus far Harry Gurney (two wickets at an average of 120.50) has looked a tad off colour. What odds would you get on Gurney being Notts best bowler on the day? Fairly short I reckon, likewise Stuart Broad.

Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball goes into this game with 48 List A career wickets.

No surprises other than the absence of Jason Roy, who, like Hales and James Taylor for Notts, is effectively on international duty.

In recent memory there has often been a bit of weather around when Surrey have been due to square up to Notts in one-day cricket. In 1998, the author Stephen King's only visit to a cricket match, at the invitation of umpire Dickie Bird, fell foul of the rain! Click Here for picture. Elements aside, the honours have been fairly even, as indeed will this contest be. Even without their star batsmen, Notts will start favourites, so the head says Notts and the heart says Surrey.

R Wessels (capt), M Lumb, D Christian, S Patel, B Taylor, S Mullaney, C Read (wk), S Wood, S Broad, J Ball and H Gurney.

Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth.

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