SURREY V SOMERSET at the Kia Oval (SSCC1), 19-22 SEPTEMBER 2017

Third plays host to seventh for what could well be Kumar Sangakkara's his last ever appearance at the Oval, unless Alec Stewart can talk him into playing in next summer’s Twenty20. As the returning officer for the Supporters’ Club's end of season awards voting, I don’t think it’s letting the cat out of the bag in revealing that Sanga is this year’s player of the season. The return of Sangakkara - not to mention Mark Stoneman - brings a touch of class to the top of the order heading into the last few weeks of the campaign, not that runs have been a problem for Surrey in the County Championship.

One senses the flat pitches at the Oval will end up being a feature of the season, unless, of course, Lee Fortis serves up a turner for this match, which would be risky given the current form of offie Dom Bess and slow left-armer Jack Leach. Between them, the Somerset spin twins have taken 23 wickets at an average of 20.08 in their side's pair of recent championship victories over Warwickshire and Lancashire. Mind you, as someone pointed out to me last week, only two teams have bowled their opponents out twice at the Oval this season - England and Surrey.

When England did so, Dean Elgar hit 136; playing a lone hand in the second innings for South Africa. It hasn’t helped Somerset's cause that Elgar, their overseas player, was only available for six championship fixtures. But it wasn’t as though the 30-year-old left-hander was expected to be on the fringes of this summer’s Test series with England. What also seems to be an example of bad planning, or quite possibly man management, is allowing Adam Hose (who currently sits third in Somerset’s championship batting averages) to leave mid-season and join Warwickshire.

Even after two successive wins the batting analyses appear to be a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s. James Hildreth, fourth in the list, is averaging 28.28 and Marcus Trescothick, who is fifth, is averaging 27.61, followed by skipper Tom Abell (26.88). Indeed, unless one of Steven Davies (602 at an average of 33.44), Hildreth or Trescothick make in the region of 400 runs in two games, Somerset will fail to produce a 1,000-run man for the first time in the Champo since 2004.

Craig Overton has shouldered the new ball duties manfully. His 42 championship wickets at 21.47 runs apiece this season will almost certainly be rewarded with selection for the England Lions this winter, which, of course, would mean he'd be just an injury or two away from involvement in the Ashes.

Surrey v Somerset - First-Class Records Sheet


Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman have 922 and 959 runs respectively in this season's County Championship.
Stoneman is also 57 runs shy of 9,000 in first-class cricket and Rikki Clarke starts with 399 f-c wickets under his belt. Of the visiting contingent, Dom Bess (45) is closing in on his 50th first-class victim with the ball.


There are no changes to the 13-man squad for last week's clash against Yorkshire, as Tom Curran and Jason Roy remain on England one-day duty. Dernbach for Van den Bergh, should the conditions dictate, seems the most likely modification, if any.

OPPONENT DATE RESULT VENUE SURREY OPPONENT
Yorkshire 12-15 Sep 2017 Match Drawn The Oval 592 394 & 281-2
Hampshire 5-8 Sep 2017 Match Drawn Rose Bowl 200 & 280-4 290
Middlesex 28-31 Aug 2017 Match Drawn The Oval 280 247 & 214-7
Somerset 7-10 Aug 2017 Match Drawn Taunton 345 436
Hampshire 3-6 Jul 2017 Match Drawn The Oval 483 & 166-3d 648-7d


Surrey's recent "September" record in the County Championship now stands at P13 W1 D6 L6; and since beating Somerset at Bath in 2006, their championship record against the Cidermen reads a disappointing P10 W0 D7 L3. Turning to the weather forecast, they're saying it will be a tad warmer than of late, with the threat of the occasional shower on Day Four. But, if it's possible, the wickets at the Oval seem to be getting flatter. Provided both sides don't do anything foolish with the willow, I can only see this ending up as a draw.


M.Trescothick, E.Byrom, G.Bartlett, J.Hildreth, T.Abell (capt), S.Davies (wk), P.Trego, C.Overton, D.Bess, J.Leach and T.Groenewald.


Ian Gould and Steve O'Shaughnessy.

DATE RESULT VENUE TOSS DECISION SURREY SOMERSET
7-10 Aug 2017 Match Drawn Taunton Uncontested Field 345 436
28-30 May 2016 Lost By 1 Wicket Taunton Surrey Bat 264 & 138 102 & 301-9
24-27 Apr 2016 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 463 & 181-8d 353 & 122-4
11-14 Sep 2013 Lost By 7 Wickets Taunton Surrey Bat 195 & 197 260 & 133-3
17-20 Apr 2013 Match Drawn The Oval Somerset Bat 366-9d 384 & 251-9d
28-31 Aug 2012 Match Drawn Taunton Surrey Bat 317 & 360-5d 294
16-19 May 2012 Match Drawn The Oval Somerset Bat 388 & 239-7 512-9d & 180
12-15 Aug 2008 Match Drawn Taunton Surrey Field 406-9 401-3d
30 May - 2 Jun 2008 Lost By 8 Wickets Whitgift School Somerset Field 326 & 227 446 & 111-2
19-22 Jul 2006 Match Drawn Guildford Somerset Bat 717 688-8d
14-16 Jun 2006 Won By 4 Wickets Bath Surrey Field 266 & 356-6 342 & 276
3-6 Jul 2002 Match Drawn Taunton Somerset Field 608-6d & 324-5d 554 & 329-7
24-27 May 2002 Match Drawn The Oval Surrey Bat 220 & 332 253 & 45-1
23-26 Aug 2001 Match Drawn Taunton Somerset Bat 278 & 294-6 373 & 311-6d
6-9 Jun 2001 Won By 6 Wickets The Oval Somerset Bat 403 & 210-4 377 & 234
14-16 Jun 2000 Won By An Inns & 213 Runs The Oval Surrey Bat 548 145 & 190
26-29 Apr 2000 Match Drawn Taunton Somerset Field 185 302-8d
26-29 May 1999 Won By 7 Wickets The Oval Somerset Bat 558-9d & 49-3 199 & 405
21-24 May 1998 Lost By 165 Runs Taunton Surrey Field 241 & 245 176 & 475
23-26 Apr 1997 Match Drawn The Oval Somerset Bat 209-8 463

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