Having met just a few weeks ago there is unlikely to be much these two sides need to find out about each other - and little I can tell you, basically. From the Oval outfit's point of view they will know that even without Andrew Strauss, the North Londoners have a very durable batting line-up and that Nantie Hayward's party trick - copied by his fellow South African Dewald Pretorius when Surrey travelled to Edgbaston - is tempting the openers to loft the ball to the third man boundary. As far as Middlesex are concerned they will hopefully be aware that not since 1983 have they done the championship double over their South London rivals. They surely won't getter a better chance than now. With injuries and Test calls depleting their ranks, the home side, who are yet to win a game all season, will be severely tested. Perhaps the biggest difference between this encounter and last month's one at Lord's is that Middlesex go in to it as the odds on favourites. Surrey milestones for this match? Well, conceivably, there could be quite a few. It will be Adam Hollioake's 150th championship appearance for Surrey and Jonathan Batty's 100th appearance in all first-class cricket. Batty is also 57 runs away from 3,000 in championship cricket. Mark Ramprakash needs just one more catch to register 200 in his first-class career, while Jimmy Ormond is now one away from a hundredth championship scalp in chocolate trim. Completing the list, Martin Bicknell is on 992 first-class wickets and Scott Newman needs 103 runs for 1,000 career first-class runs for Surrey.
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