WORCESTERSHIRE V SURREY at Worcester (LVCC2), 8-11 AUGUST 2006

With rain forecast to arrive on Thursday, this top of the table clash might well be another of those Worcestershire v Surrey encounters to end up a damp squib. That was the case two years ago when, by rights, Worcestershire should have taken advantage of the visitors' depleted bowling resources. As it was, Graham Thorpe helped his side hold on for the draw with a fair amount of assistance from the elements.

As Surrey have already discovered to their cost this season, a key man for the home side will be Phil Jaques, who has made 1,046 championship runs at an average of 95.09 this summer, despite missing two matches in order to represent Australia A.

Like Jaques, Vikram Solanki and Ben Smith have posted double centuries in four-day cricket this term, plus highly-rated wicketkeeper Steven Davies came close when he made 192 against Gloucestershire at Bristol in early June. All in all then, the Black Pears possess a formidable batting line-up; especially when you think that I have cared to ignore the presence of a certain Graeme Hick and the talented Stephen Moore.

With the ball, Matt Mason has led the way for Worcestershire again this season. Were it not for injuries he would, in all probability, now have fifty championship wickets to his name. The bulk of the bowling burden has been shouldered by Zaheer Khan (63 wickets at 25.74 runs apiece) and Gareth Batty, who must surely have been better than his average of 36.80 suggests. Like Mason, Kabir Ali has also had his injury problems. To date the pair have only been in the same side in three out of 11 championship outings.

Alistair Brown needs 135 runs for a thousand for the season, Mark Butcher requires fifteen runs to reach the same landmark and Rikki Clarke wants thirteen. Clarke is also five wickets away from 100 in his f-c career. Mark Ramprakash needs 152 runs for 2,000 for this term and Ian Salisbury is four wickets away from taking 50 for the season. For Worcestershire, Phil Jaques has 24 f-c hundreds to his name, while Vikram Solanki has 19.

Surrey have added Neil Saker to the eleven that beat Northamptonshire at the Brit Oval. If Saker is to pressed into action, it appears that one of Nayan Doshi and Ian Salisbury will miss out. With Salisbury visably struggling in the field last week with a sore knee, he would seem to the most likely to make way of the two. 

Surrey have not won at New Road since 1983, so I am ruling out a Brown Caps victory. But, with rain forecast to play a part this week, I am not prepared to back Worcestershire. So, I am sitting on the fence on this one.

P Jaques, S Moore, V Solanki (capt), B Smith, S Davies (wk), D Mitchell, G Batty, R Sillence, Z Khan, M Mason and M Malik.

Peter Hartley and Barrie Leadbeater.

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