SURREY V LANCASHIRE at
the Brit Oval (LVCC1), 16-19 APRIL 2008
How can this encounter possibly match last season's finale, which Surrey
won by the slender margin of 24 runs to hand Sussex, rather than Lancashire, the
championship title? To cut a long story short, the Lankies will be be out for
revenge. As if to prove it, they have drafted Andrew Flintoff into their squad.
The England all-rounder has made just four championship appearances in the last
two seasons. Even though it was six years ago,
the home fans will shudder at the memory of Flintoff's whirlwind 137 off 106
balls against the
Brown Caps which appeared, at one point, to be the difference between
the two teams. As it was, a superb century from Mark Ramprakash carried Surrey
to victory by three wickets. Now the great man is homing in on his hundredth
hundred.
Second in the betting to lift this season's crown (Surrey are fourth by the
way), Lancashire appear to have everything needed - except perhaps a decent
second spinner - in order to mount a serious challenge on this year's County
Championship. But every year one of the three top-rated sides fails to turn up
for the party. Much depends, therefore, on everyone getting behind Stuart Law in
a way they perhaps didn't under Mark Chilton, who has gone from skipper to
back-up batter.
Iain Sutcliffe, who made 2 and 3 when these two sides met at Old Trafford
last summer, and drifted out of the Lancashire side shortly thereafter, is
preferred as opening partner to the promising Paul Horton, who needs to worry
about his prospects for this season simply because I have included him in my
Oval World Fantasy Cricket team! But there aren't many middle orders in the
country as strong as Loye, Hodge, Law and Flintoff.
With James Anderson under instructions from the England management to rest
and Dominic Cork out with a side strain, the visitors will need Flintoff to be
fit to bowl a reasonable amount of overs. Glen Chapple and Oliver Newby are
steady seam-up operators, but Sajid Mahmood can blow hot and cold. For all his
natural talent, it seems astonishing that he has only collected two 5-wicket
hauls in 38 f-c appearances for the Red Rose county. Gary Keedy, who averaged
over thirty for the first time in five years last term, provides the spin threat
for the visitors.
Pedro Collins is set to make his first-class debut for Surrey. Of those in the
Lancashire side, Andrew Flintoff goes into this clash with 297 first-class
wickets against his name, while Mal Loye is 83 runs away from notching up 5,000
in f-c cricket for the Lightning.
The surprise omission from the hosts' line-up is Alistair Brown, who turned down
a lucrative offer to join the Indian Premier League in favour of winning back a
place in Surrey's first team. Two spinners - Saqlain Mushtaq and Chris Schofield
- are named in the twelve. Given Alan Butcher's pre-season comments about the
need for twirlers at the Oval, it looks as though Jimmy Ormond will be the one
to miss out. Chris Jordan and James Benning, who took 37 wickets for Perth in
Western Australian Grade cricket last winter, will act as first and second
change.
OPPONENT |
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
SURREY |
OPPONENT |
Lancashire |
19-22 Sep 2007 |
Won By 24 Runs |
The Oval |
427-9d & 295-5d |
234 & 464 |
Warwickshire |
6-9 Sep 2007 |
Won By 9 Wickets |
Edgbaston |
373 & 179-1 |
285 & 264 |
Hampshire |
30 Aug - 2 Sep
2007 |
Won By An Inns & 37 Runs |
Rose Bowl |
556 |
221 & 298 |
Sussex |
21-24 Aug 2007 |
Abandoned |
The Oval |
- |
- |
Durham |
13-16 Aug 2007 |
Match Drawn |
The Riverside |
183 & 198-3 |
232 & 397-7d |
With rain forecast for Friday and Saturday, two strong batting line-ups, a pitch
tailor-made for batting (no doubt) and the reduction in the number of overs to
be bowled in a day, er... let me see... Draw? Even though it's 10/11 on with
Betfair that still sounds like generous odds to me.
P Horton, I Sutcliffe, M Loye, B Hodge, S Law (capt), A Flintoff, L
Sutton (wk), G Chapple, S Mahmood, O Newby and G Keedy.
Peter Hartley and George Sharp.
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
LANCASHIRE |
19-22
Sep 2007 |
Won By 24 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
427-9d
& 295-5d |
234 &
464 |
2-4
May 2007 |
Lost By 7 Wickets |
Old Trafford |
Surrey |
Bat |
284 &
120 |
315 &
90-3 |
2-4
Sep 2004 |
Won By 147 Runs |
Old Trafford |
Surrey |
Bat |
369 &
185 |
278 &
129 |
11-13
Aug 2004 |
Won By An Inns & 55
Runs |
Whitgift School |
Lancashire |
Bat |
525 |
210 &
260 |
26-29
Aug 2003 |
Lost By 8 Wickets |
Old Trafford |
Surrey |
Bat |
337 &
138 |
341 &
135-2 |
18-21
Apr 2003 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Lancashire |
Bat |
280 &
379-6 |
599 |
31
May - 3 Jun 2002 |
Match Drawn |
Old Trafford |
Surrey |
Bat |
382 &
246-6d |
194 &
112-3 |
8-11
May 2002 |
Won By 3 Wickets |
The Oval |
Lancashire |
Bat |
216 &
309-7 |
320 &
200 |
29
Jun - 2 Jul 2001 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
248 &
320-9d |
276 &
170-2 |
25-28
Apr 2001 |
Abandoned |
Old Trafford |
No toss |
- |
- |
- |
13-16
Sep 2000 |
Match Drawn |
Old Trafford |
Lancashire |
Bat |
359 |
324 &
304-9d |
2-5
Aug 2000 |
Won By 272 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
310 &
227-4d |
120 &
145 |
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