SURREY V SUSSEX at the Brit Oval (LVCC1), 21-24 AUGUST 2007

The time has come for Surrey to face the two sides, who, in my opinion, are best positioned to become this year's County Champions - Sussex and Hampshire.

In Sussex's last championship outing their spinners, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, accounted for 17 of the twenty Warwickshire wickets to fall. So expect spin to be a feature over the next four days. Mark Butcher has won just three out of eleven tosses in four-day cricket this term - Rikki Clarke lost the other in the curtain raiser to the season - so it would be a good time for that trend to shift back Surrey's way and for the Brown Caps to bat first and post a sizeable first innings total.

Unfortunately, another worrying trend has been the inability of the Oval outfit to make over 320 - they have managed just two totals over that mark in their last seven championship outings. Strangely enough, if Sussex fail to lift this year's title they may well point to a lack of first innings runs. Since compiling 517 against Durham at Horsham just over a month ago they have made scores of 145, 274 and 168 in their first dig. But, as the Martlets showed in their second innings against Warwickshire, they are no pushover second time round.

Murray Goodwin made 119 and 205 not out when these two sides met at Hove back in May and still appears to be the main danger, with 942 runs at an average of 55.41 to date in the championship. Lying second in Sussex's batting averages is Luke Wright, which underlines the fact that the Martlets bat a long way down. Chris Adams has had a good year, but since hitting his third championship hundred of the campaign (193 against Durham), the Sussex captain has collected just 91 runs from six innings.

Richard Montgomerie has contributed two centuries, but in five of his last six first-class innings against Surrey, the former Northants opener has been caught behind by Jonathan Batty. With Matt Prior on England duty, one concern for Sussex has been Andrew Hodd's form with the bat. Since making 72 against Worcestershire in May, the 23-year-old stumper has made just one further championship half-century in eleven visits to the crease.

Once again Mushtaq Ahmed has led the way with the ball for the Martlets. He currently has 69 championship scalps at an average of 26.98. No wonder Warwickshire recently tried to tempt him away from Hove. Amazingly, though, Mushy's first-class bowling average against Surrey is 39.69. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who has come through a fitness test on his ankle to play, has been Ahmed's principal support, with 46 wickets at 28.67 runs apiece this term.

Scott Newman needs 15 runs for 5,000 first-class runs for Surrey. Jimmy Ormond has made 995 runs for the Brown Caps. Mark Ramprakash needs 45 runs for 30,000 f-c career runs. Of the visitors' line-up, Chris Nash is 124 runs away from 1,000 f-c runs for Sussex, while Luke Wright needs 85 runs for 1,000 f-c career runs and 96 for 1,000 f-c runs for Sussex

Surrey look to make at least one change to the side that took on both Kent and Durham in the championship. Chris Schofield comes in for Alistair Brown. The other decision to be made is whether Jimmy Ormond continues or Mohammad Akram is pitched against one of his former employers. Rikki Clarke has now recovered from his mystery virus, but is not risked. Instead, he will be playing for the stiffs against Kent twos at Wimbledon.

Four of the last six championship meetings between these two sides have ended in stalemate for one reason or another. If Bill Gordon has prepared another belter of a pitch, this one could too. But even on good pitches the batsmen still have to apply themselves to their just reward. On paper Surrey seem a little bit short for my liking, especially against spinners of Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq's ilk. My prediction? Put it this way, I'd take the draw if I were Mark Butcher and I was offered it now.

C Nash, R Montgomerie, M Yardy, M Goodwin, C Adams (capt), A Hodd (wk), L Wright, Naved-ul-Hasan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and J Lewry.

Trevor Jesty and Tim Robinson.

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