SURREY V WORCESTERSHIRE at the Brit Oval (FCC1), 3-6 AUGUST 2004

Yet another "must win" game for Surrey, for whom time has all but run out if they are still going to be in Division One of the County Championship next season.

Were it not for the weather, tomorrow's visitors would have won the corresponding fixture at Worcester six weeks ago, so Ben Smith's men will be out for revenge. Against a side as low in confidence as Surrey are right now, the New Road outfit could be forgiven for looking upon this game as one of the easiest they have left.

With Moore and Peters filling their boots when these two sides last met, plus Graeme Hick (1,018 championship runs in 2004) and Ben Smith both averaging over sixty, Worcestershire's batting appears to be in full working order. It comes to something when Vikram Solanki - said to be on the move at the end of the campaign - is regarded the weak link with a batting record that compares favourably with Jonathan Batty's.

With the ball his namesake and former team-mate Gareth Batty, along with seamer Matt Mason, has led the way in the County Championship this summer. Kabir Ali and Nadeem Malik are also averaging less than thirty runs a victim. So, with the overseas players Andy Bichel and Andrew Hall contributing in both departments, Khalid looks the most likely to miss out from the squad of thirteen the Pears are said to be bringing over from Worcester.

Despite packing their side with batsmen, for Surrey the question remains, who is going to bowl Worcestershire out twice? The home side cannot possibly be targeting a draw, so a result wicket should have been the order placed by Steve Rixon and Jonathan Batty when, presumably, they were asked by Oval groundsman Bill Gordon. Sorry, but I saw Surrey at Northampton (and Bristol and Lord's) and nothing suggests to me that a change in fortunes is about to happen, so I'm going for a win for the visitors. Roll on a winter of rebuilding and Surrey bouncing back next season.

Adam Hollioake and the injured Ian Salisbury and Phil Sampson make way for, wait for it, Richard Clinton, Alistair Brown and Alex Tudor.

S Peters, S Moore, G Hick, B Smith (capt), A Bichel, G Batty, A Hall, Kabir Ali, S Rhodes (wk), M Mason and N Malik.

23-26 Jun 2004	Match Drawn	Worcester
20-23 Apr 1999	Match Drawn	Worcester
3-6 Jun 1998	Won By 79 Runs	The Oval
18-19 Jun 1997	Match Drawn	Worcester
19-22 Sep 1996	Lost By 124 Runs	The Oval
1-5 Jun 1995	Lost By 134 Runs	Worcester
28 Apr - 1 May 1994	Won By 9 Wickets	The Oval
12-16 Aug 1993	Lost By 65 Runs	Worcester
12-15 Jun 1992	Match Drawn	The Oval
16-19 Aug 1991	Lost By 3 Wickets	Worcester
16-19 Jun 1990	Match Drawn	The Oval

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