SURREY V WARWICKSHIRE at the Kia Oval (LVCC)
25-28 JULY 2022

Top versus eighth. That's right, the defending champions are eighth, with a just a solitary victory under their belts - which came at home to Essex, over Easter. Since then, Warwickshire have lost to Somerset (by an innings), Lancashire, title challengers Hampshire and, just last week, Kent.

The most worrying feature of the Bears' latest defeat was an uncharacteristic lack of runs. Just one player (Sam Hain, with 99 and 16) made more than 33 in either dig against the hop county, Sam Billings took a Kent record 12 dismissals in the match as wicketkeeper and Warwickshire's first innings 225 benefited from 42 extras.

Even with Matthew Lamb missing from the Bears' squad this week, the Bears still possess four batters averaging over 38 in the County Championship - Sam Hain (831 runs at 75.54 in 2022), Michael Burgess (51.07), Nathan McAndrew (38.50) and Dom Silbey (38.40), who will be facing his old (as well as next) county.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby (43 Champo wickets at 21.69 runs apiece) has carried Warwickshire's bowling this summer in the absence of Liam Norwell (back injury) and Ryan Sidebottom (calf strain), on top of Olly Stone and Chris Woakes being stuck on the long road back to full fitness after long-term injury.

Norwell (21.28), who has only appeared in two four-day games to date, makes the squad for the Oval; which is just as well bearing in mind no one else is averaging less than forty with the ball for the visitors. If there's help for the spinners, maybe Danny Briggs can chip away at his 46.09 average.

Since first-class status was bestowed on Durham, in 1992, both they and Warwickshire have made the fewest County Championship visits to the Oval, with eight. Worcestershire have only made nine in the last 30 years, while Kent, Lancashire and Leicestershire (14) have made the most.

Surrey v Warwickshire - First-Class Records Sheet

Ben Foakes, who has been exceptional with the bat since opening his 2022 account with an unbeaten 132 at Edgbaston, is 49 runs shy of 7,000 first-class career runs, while Ollie Pope (4,944) is eyeing up his 5,000th.

All-rounder Jordan Clark returns to the first-team squad for the first time since picking up a side strain in the T20 game against Somerset on 21 June. Jamie Smith, who missed last week's six-wicket victory over Essex, is also back. One to drop out from that team is Cameron Steel, who isn't named in the hosts' 13-man line-up.

When these sides met in the opening week of the season, at Edgbaston, bat dominated ball. With Surrey sensing a third successive win, they would appreciate a livelier surface than that particular one to press home their psychological advantage. Prediction - a Surrey victory.

A.Davies, D.Sibley, C.Benjamin, S.Hain, W.Rhodes (capt), D.Mousley, M.Burgess (wk), N.McAndrew, H.Brookes, D.Briggs and O.Hannon-Dalby.

Nigel Llong and Billy Taylor.

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