DURHAM DYNAMOS V SURREY LIONS at Chester-le-Street (TSL2), 24 APRIL 2005

Durham have flown out of the traps faster than anyone this season - following up their championship victory against Leicestershire by an innings and 216 runs with an impressive seven-wicket win over Worcestershire, who many were tipping for promotion before things got underway. If that is not enough, sandwiched in-between was a professional win over the Foxes in the totesport League.

By way of contrast, Surrey are rounding-off a week they will want to forget. After eye-catching performances with the bat against Sussex in the championship and, valiantly, against Yorkshire last Sunday, the Ovalites disgraced themselves in their second innings against Bradford & Leeds UCCE and finished the three-day contest not just defeated but with a trio of front-line bowlers crocked.

To sum up, then, the momentum is very much with the Dynamos going into tomorrow's clash at the Riverside. Somewhat surprisingly, therefore, Surrey are being quoted as the 4/6 favourites. Perhaps it is on the basis of the history between these two side, which the Lions have dominated. Durham's only one-day win over the South London outfit came at the end of the 2000 campaign when Surrey, who had already claimed the National League Division Two title by then, put out an under-strength line-up.

Apart from that occasion 230 is the most the Riverside outfit have ever compiled against the Lions in the league. Given the form Mark Davies and Liam Plunkett are currently in, however, the visitors cannot necessarily assume they will be a match that sort of total on a pitch which generally favours seam in the opening weeks of the season. Especially when, if last summer is anything to go by, the bowling of Gareth Breese and Neil Killeen deserves to be given just as much respect in one-day cricket.

After last Sunday's defeat at the hands of the Yorkshire Phoenix, Surrey's coach Steve Rixon said: "We should be aware of who their target players are, be aware of their strengths, but at the end of the day we should play the sort of cricket we’ve set ourselves to play." If the Lions are going to do that tomorrow, then knocking over Mike Hussey and Paul Collingwood early on will do their prospects of victory a world of good. In four seasons of county cricket, Hussey has made 2,865 runs at an average of 46.20 in List A cricket and averages 87.66 in the one-day arena against Surrey.

Although it may not seem it, this is a huge game for the visitors. Defeat tomorrow would cast some doubt over their ability to win promotion back to Division One of the totesport League. But, generally speaking, when the chips are down, Surrey raise their game to another level. So, for the first time this term I am backing them to win. That said, Durham are the form side, so expect this to be a cracking contest.

Oh dear, the new season is only 11 days old and injury list has already started to mushroom. Azhar Mahmood (shin), Martin Bicknell (hamstring), Mark Butcher (wrist) Rikki Clarke (twisted ankle) - who will play tomorrow, but is unlikely to bowl - and Ian Salisbury (intercostal muscle) are all on the same physio's bench that the management complained Alex Tudor was so familiar with in recent seasons!

M Hussey (capt), J Lewis, N Peng, P Collingwood, D Benkenstein, G Muchall, P Mustard (wk), G Breese, L Plunkett, N Killeen and M Davies.

DATE	COMP	RESULT	VENUE	TOSS	DECISION	SURREY	DURHAM
10 Sep 2000	NL	Lost By 59 Runs	The Oval	Durham	Bat	192 (40.3)	251-5 (45)
6 May 2000	NL	Won By 66 Runs	Chester-le-Street	Durham	Field	230-7 (45)	164 (41.3)
31 Aug 1999	NL	Won By 2 Runs	The Oval	Surrey	Bat	221-7 (45)	219-8 (44)
18 Apr 1999	NL	Won By 3 Runs	Chester-le-Street	Surrey	Bat	175-7 (26)	186 (25.4)
13 Sep 1998	NL	Won By 101 Runs	Chester-le-Street	Surrey	Bat	237-6 (40)	136 (32.1)
10 Aug 1997	NL	Won By 7 Wickets	The Oval	Surrey	Field	190-3 (38.3)	189-9 (40)
24 Jun 1997	NWT	Won By 5 Wickets	The Oval	Surrey	Field	251-5 (48.5)	247-7 (60)
23 Jun 1996	NL	Won By 59 Runs	Stockton	Durham	Field	268-8 (40)	209 (35.4)
14 May 1995	NL	Won By 7 Wickets	The Oval	Durham	Bat	190-3 (35.1)	189-8 (40)
3 Jul 1994	NL	Won By 2 Runs	Darlington	Durham	Field	222-8 (40)	220-9 (40)
4 Jul 1993	NL	Won By 36 Runs	The Oval	Surrey	Bat	205-9 (50)	169 (48.3)
2 Aug 1992	NL	Won By 100 Runs	Durham University	Durham	Field	330-6 (39)	230-7 (39)

GO TO:



BACK TO: