YORKSHIRE V SURREY at Headingley (LVCC1), 20-23 JULY 2007

When Surrey beat Yorkshire by an innings and 168 runs at the start of 2002, it was the Brown Caps first championship success at Headlingley since 1973; and only their second since World War Two. It's fair to say, then, that Headingley has not been a happy hunting ground for the Oval outfit.

Even though Craig White has not had the best of summers with the bat, Jacques Rudolph (709 championship runs at an average of 59.08), Joe Sayers and Anthony McGrath complete a strong top order for the Tykes. As Surrey found out to their cost in this season's opener, Yorkshire bat a long way down with the likes of Bresnan and Gillespie coming in around seven and eight. McGrath is the form horse, though, having hit an unbeaten 188 at Edgbaston last weekend.

Darren Gough and Tim Bresnan have led the way with the ball this term, but leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who took 5-114 in the recent Roses match at Old Trafford, is the leading wicket-taker with 26 victims at 35.73 runs apiece in the championship. Also, look out for 21-year-old Ajmal Shahzad, if he plays in place of the struggling Deon Kruis. When Gough was injured last month, Shahzad came into the Yorkshire side and took 4-22 when Sussex were bowled out for 141 in their first innings.

Jonathan Batty needs 5 catches for 400 first-class career catches. Mark Butcher has 25 f-c hundreds for Surrey. Richard Clinton needs 100 runs for 1,000 f-c runs for the county, while Scott Newman is 48 short of 5,000 f-c career runs. Matt Nicholson needs 3 wickets for 350 f-c career wickets. Finally, Mark Ramprakash needs 45 runs for 1,000 runs in the season and one century for 40 hundreds for Surrey.

The Brown Caps have name an unchanged line-up to the one that beat Durham last week, though it is Richard Clinton's turn to perform twelfth man duties. On the physio's table at the moment is James Benning (bruised foot). Ian Salisbury and James Ormond are fit again and playing for the Second XI against Essex, but Nayan Doshi hasn't made the trip to Coggleshall. Instead, he has chosen to part company with Surrey.

Like so many games this season, the weather seems likely to dominate proceedings. If Headingley favours swing, as it is prone to do, three days might be enough time in which to obtain a result, but with two decent batting line-ups my money is on the draw.

C White, J Sayers, A McGrath, Younis Khan, J Rudolph, A Rashid, T Bresnan, J Gillespie, S Guy (wk), D Gough (capt) and A Shahzad.

Barrie Leadbeater and Nigel Llong.

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