KENT SPITFIRES V SURREY BROWN CAPS at Canterbury (Pro40 League), 27 AUGUST 2009

Kent will be without Joe Denly, who will be on England duty in Belfast. But it will be interesting to see if the likes of Rob Key, Martin van Jaarsveld and Geraint Jones are rested for such a showpiece occasion - Canterbury, under lights, the match being on television and the Spitfires seeking to maintain their undefeated record in this summer's Pro40.

The Kent side that line-up against Derbyshire at Chesterfield last weekend had more than one or two unfamiliar faces in it - 19-year-old opener Sam Northeast, James Hockley and, at number three, 20-year-old Alex Blake, who made a match-winning 80 as the Spitfires chased down a target of 260 with ten balls to spare. With the ball, Philip Edwards, a 25-year-old seamer, took 3-57 while 21-year-old Paul Dixey deputised with the wicket-keeping gloves.  

Key is averaging just 13.62 with the bat in List A cricket this term, so there is every chance that Justin Kemp will skipper Kent. However, Darren Stevens (average 50.00), Jones (40.33) and van Jaarsveld (37.42) will be difficult to omit. The Spitfires attack has not been at its best in one-day cricket this summer. Azhar Mahmood is their leading wicket-taker with just 12 scalps at an average of 30.00 runs apiece. Simon Cook and the much under-rated off-spinner James Tredwell have both been economical though.

Click here for the Surrey v Kent List A Records sheet as at the start of the 2009 season.

For Kent, Geraint Jones goes into this contest with 197 List A dismissals and 2,487 List A career runs, while Darren Stevens has 4,917 List A runs.

Jonathan Batty is due to make a rare one-day appearance, due to Gary Wilson being in the Ireland squad to face England. With Usman Afzaal, Michael Brown and Mark Ramprakash also named in the Surrey line-up for tomorrow night, the Brown Caps look strong in the batting. The bowling is likely to be somewhat experimental. Andre Nel is still recovering from the operation he had on his left elbow on August 10, while Jade Dernbach is being rested.

Surrey haven't beaten Kent in List A cricket since 2007. That said, Canterbury has been a lucky ground, in terms of one-dayers, for the Brown Caps of late. But with such a threadbare attack, the visitors will almost certainly struggle if Kent win the toss and bat first. I hope I'm wrong, but I reckon the Spitfires will take the spoils from this one.

S Northeast, J Hockley, A Blake, J Kemp (capt), D Stevens, Azhar Mahmood, J Tredwell, P Dixey (wk), R Ferley, A Khan and P Edwards.

Richard Kettleborough and Peter Willey. (3rd umpire - George Sharp).

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