KENT V SURREY at Canterbury
(LVCC1), 8-11 AUGUST 2007
With the newly crowned Twenty20 Cup champions sitting fourteen points ahead
of Surrey, and with four out of their last six LVCC fixtures being at the
St.Lawrence Ground its that
home advantage we can expect to see coming into play over the next four days.
Chances are the groundsman at
Canterbury has been under orders to prepare a pitch that would last seven days
rather than four. Harbhajan Singh can therefore anticipate another heavy workload. Against
Worcestershire at Guildford he sent down 63 overs, which was the most delivered
by a Surrey bowler since Harbhajan sent down 72.1 at Bristol in July 2005.
In
the sights of the Indian off-spinner will be four batsmen who have already made
500 championship runs this term at an average over forty - Denly, Key, Stevens
and van Jaarsveld. 21-year-old Joe Denly leads the way with 699 runs at an average of 53.76,
including centuries at home to Hampshire in May and against Yorkshire at
Scarborough two weeks ago. Martin van Jaarsveld has three hundreds under his
belt, the best of which was his 166 against Surrey at Whitgift
School.
Since making 199 against the Oval outfit in 2004 and centuries in both
innings against the Brown Caps at Tunbridge Wells a year later, the Kent
skipper, Rob Key, has only made 118 in three innings against them; which
suggests he is due another big score against Mark Butcher's men. With Harbhajan likely to be Kent's main threat, the home side would do well
to keep the faith with Matt Walker. Walker is averaging just 34.88 in this
season's County Championship, but his record against Surrey shows that he has
not been dismissed by a Brown Caps spinner in first-class cricket since 2003.
The hop county's bowling attack is strengthened with the signing of Sri
Lanka's Lasith Malinga. The 23-year-old quick joins a well drilled outfit which
has been led by Ryan McLaren (31 wickets at 24.58 runs apiece) and Yasir Arafat
(26 @ 30.38) this summer. With Darren Stevens and Simon Cook chipping in at
regular intervals, Kent have only been held back by the lack of a wicket-taking
spinner.
Mark Ramprakash has made 9,980 first-class runs for Surrey, while Scott Newman's
f-c run tally stands at 4,993. Jonathan Batty has 398 catches in f-c cricket.
Kent's Simon Cook is set to make his 100th f-c appearance. Yasir Arafat has 491
first-class wickets.
Rikki Clarke is struggling with the same cold he battled with against
Worcestershire. James Benning therefore comes into the reckoning, while Alistair
Brown has been included in Surrey's 13-man squad, probably as cover. Mo Akram
and Jimmy Ormond are also named in the squad, but only one of these is thought
likely to feature following Chris Jordan's impressive first team debut against
Middlesex in the Pro40 League.
OPPONENT |
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
SURREY |
OPPONENT |
Worcestershire |
25-28 Jul 2007 |
Match Drawn |
Guildford |
369 |
217 & 307-5 |
Yorkshire |
20-23 Jul 2007 |
Match Drawn |
Headingley |
229 |
307 & 2-1 |
Durham |
8-10 Jul 2007 |
Won By 6 Wickets |
The Oval |
243 & 154-4 |
191 & 204 |
Worcestershire |
6-9 Jun 2007 |
Match Drawn |
Worcester |
370 & 281-9 |
701-6d |
Kent |
30 May - 2 Jun 2007 |
Lost By An Inns & 79 Runs |
Whitgift Sch |
166 & 319 |
564-5d |
As I've already hinted, Kent have more to lose by preparing a result pitch. So, I will be amazed if this match
finishes in anything but a high-scoring draw.
J Denly, R Key (capt), M van Jaarsveld, D Stevens, M Walker, N Dexter, G Jones
(wk), J Tredwell, S Cook, R McLaren and L Malinga.
Nigel Cowley and Richard Illingworth.
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
KENT |
30
May - 2 Jun 2007 |
Lost By An Innings &
79 Runs |
Whitgift School |
Kent |
Field |
166 & 319 |
564-5d |
20-23
Jul 2005 |
Lost By 4 Wickets |
Guildford |
Surrey |
Bat |
452-8d & 350 |
572 & 232-6 |
25-28
May 2005 |
Match Drawn |
Tunbridge Wells |
Kent |
Bat |
324 & 333-4 |
262 & 467-4d |
18-21
Aug 2004 |
Match Drawn |
Canterbury |
Kent |
Bat |
402-8d |
226 & 234-8 |
25-28
May 2004 |
Won By 7 Wickets |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
479 & 174-3 |
239 & 413 |
4-6
Sep 2003 |
Lost By An Innings &
155 Runs |
Canterbury |
Kent |
Bat |
125 & 255 |
535 |
2-5
Jul 2003 |
Won By 186 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
401 & 251-3d |
352-5d & 114 |
19-22
Jul 2002 |
Won By 2 Wickets |
Canterbury |
Kent |
Bat |
225 & 410-8 |
374 & 260 |
12-14
Jun 2002 |
Won By 9 Wickets |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Field |
361 & 61-1 |
153 & 268 |
16-19
Aug 2001 |
Match Drawn |
Canterbury |
Surrey |
Bat |
258 & 193-8 |
301 |
20-23
Apr 2001 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Kent |
Bat |
473 |
456-8d |
23-26
May 2000 |
Match Drawn |
Canterbury |
Surrey |
Bat |
348-8 |
- |
11-14
May 2000 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Kent |
Field |
417 & 17-0d |
115-2d & 255-8 |
2-5
Jun 1999 |
Won By An Innings &
28 Runs |
Tunbridge Wells |
Kent |
Field |
271 |
71 & 172 |
29-31
May 1998 |
Won By An Innings &
30 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
342 |
86 & 226 |
18-20
Sep 1997 |
Lost By 5 Wickets |
Canterbury |
Kent |
Field |
124 & 371 |
220 & 276-5 |
9-13
May 1996 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Kent |
Bat |
360 & 160-6 |
225 & 361 |
3-7
Aug 1995 |
Match Drawn |
Canterbury |
Surrey |
Bat |
559 & 252-7d |
410 & 380-8 |
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