SURREY V WARWICKSHIRE at the Kia Oval (LVCC)
3-6 SEPTEMBER 2023

The Division One leaders play host to fourth. Despite losing to Middlesex last time out in the championship, Warwickshire are more than capable of putting the brakes on Surrey's charge for the line. Nevertheless, the Oval outfit go into this round of matches with a 17-point advantage over second-placed Essex, who face Middlesex (starting tomorrow).

To alleviate the absence of Will Jacks (England duty) and Ollie Pope (shoulder injury), the South Londoners have brought in 21-year-old India batter Sai Sudharsan, who averages 42.71 in first-class cricket and comes highly recommended by the former Surrey coach Vikram Solanki, who is now director of cricket at the Gujarat Titans.

Warwickshire have also bolstered their batting by signing West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite, which is just as well given that Alex Davies has a back issue and Rob Yates will miss this clash due to illness.

Looking back to the corresponding fixture last year, Sam Hain (653 championship runs at 59.36, including three centuries this term) is perhaps the scalp the Oval outfit's attack will prize most of all. That said, Warwickshire bat a fair way down, even without Chris Woakes, who is in England's ODI squad.

Woakes' absence will also hamper the visitors' bowling, which would appear to be reliant on Chris Rushworth (42 wickets at 18.26 in this summer's Champo) and Oliver Hannon-Dalby (36 at 21.22). Craig Miles is fit again, though, and the Bears might also unleash Barbadian Che Simmons, who holds a UK passport.

Surrey v Warwickshire - First-Class Records Sheet

Sai Sudharsan will make his Surrey debut. Jordan Clark (2,945) is approaching 3,000 first-class career runs, while Ben Foakes (7,859) has 8,000 in his sights. Dom Sibley lines up against his former county with 99 f-c catches. Will Rhodes (4,993) is on the cusp of going past 5,000 first-class runs; and, if he plays, Che Simmons, a 19-year-old seamer - who has been dubbed as the new Jofra Archer - will be making his first bow in professional cricket.

Kemar Roach returns to the Surrey fold, plus Rory Burns (ankle), Jordan Clark (hamstring) and Ben Foakes (ankle) have been named in the hosts' squad after recently missing some of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran and Will Jacks are currently on England white-ball duty.

The weather is set fair, so expect a positive result one way or the other. Surrey, with Roach back, seem to have the edge in the bowling department, but, with the 10:30 September start time, how much will come down to the toss?

K.Brathwaite, W.Rhodes (capt), S.Hain, D.Mousley, C.Benjamin, E.Barnard, M.Burgess (wk), H.Brookes, D.Briggs, O.Hannon-Dalby and C.Rushworth.

Graham Lloyd and Steve O'Shaughnessy.

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