SURREY V SOMERSET at
Guildford (LVCC2), 19-22 JULY 2006
Tomorrow marks Somerset's third visit to Guildford for a championship clash
with Surrey. On the previous occasions they have beaten a track to Woodbridge
Road, in 1976 and 1989, the Cidermen have been involved in a couple of
low-scoring encounters. With the hosts rumoured to be thinking of fielding three
front-line spinners, one wonders what Cameron White's men are like against the
turning ball; and even whether the Guildford CC groundsman has been instructed to prepare a
"bunsen".
Sadly, for the visitors, if Somerset have a weakness right now it is their
lack of a wicket-taking spinner. Ian Blackwell, never the most prolific in the
championship, is out for most of the season with a shoulder injury and Dan
Cullen is currently unavailable; which explains why Justin Langer is filling the
second overseas player's spot. Even when he was around, though, Cullen wasn't
much to write home to Australia about with a record of seven wickets
at 54.42 runs apiece in four-day cricket. Consequently, Wes Durston has sent down some of his part-time twirlers, which he has
done with a tad more success.
Even though White has also been a disappointment with the ball, the
22-year-old Victorian has led Somerset from the front in terms of his batting.
The stand-in skipper is comfortably the Taunton-based outfit's leading run-maker
with ?? at an average of ??, including ?? centuries in the County Championship.
Apart from him, only Keith Parsons and Peter Trego have so far shown any
application in Division Two this year; and Parsons, with a broken hand, is out
of the reckoning for this game.
With 23 wickets at 42.21 runs apiece, Andy Caddick has a surprisingly poor
championship record against Surrey. Ian Salisbury, on the other hand, licks his
lips at the prospect of facing Somerset. Not only has he taken 77 wickets
against them, including a career best 8-60, but one of his two first-class
hundreds also came against the Cidermen.
Ian Salisbury is set to make his 300th first-class appearance, Jonathan Batty
has 398 dismissals for Surrey, Mark Butcher has made 9,938 f-c runs for his
county, while Rikki
Clarke needs 6 more wickets for his 100th in f-c cricket. If Jimmy Ormond
plays, he is four away from collecting 200 f-c wickets for the Brown Caps.
Meanwhile, Somerset's Matthew Wood has nine first-class hundreds to his name,
including a pair against Surrey at Taunton in 2002, while Wes Durston is three
away from making 1,000 runs for his county.
Anil Kumble steps off the plane one day and 24 hours later he finds himself in
Surrey's championship squad. So, just who will make way to accommodate him?
Well, my money is on Nayan Doshi. One hopes that Neil Saker will be given a run
in the side following good performances with the ball away from home against
Somerset and Northants, but Martin Bicknell is breathing down the youngster's
neck. Alistair Brown (hamstring), Mark Butcher (back) and Mark Ramprakash (back)
are all said to be fit enough to play. Nevertheless, James Benning is on
standby.
OPPONENT |
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
SURREY |
OPPONENT |
Northants |
14-17
Jul 2006 |
Won By 229 Runs |
Northampton |
328 & 424-6d |
300 & 223 |
Glamorgan |
20-23 Jun
2006 |
Match Drawn |
Swansea |
348 & 448-8d |
410 & 168-2 |
Somerset |
14-16 Jun
2006 |
Won By 4 Wickets |
Bath |
266 & 356-6 |
342 & 276 |
Leicestershire |
7-10 Jun
2006 |
Won By An Inns & 158 Runs |
The Oval |
668-7d |
251 & 259 |
Essex |
31
May - 3 Jun 2006 |
Won By 6 Wickets |
Whitgift School |
433 & 178-4 |
365 & 244 |
With Somerset subsiding to 127 all out in less than forty overs, in their second
innings against Derbyshire at batsmen-friendly Taunton on Monday, and Anil
Kumble fresh off the plane, would it be a surprise to anyone if I went
"Surrey win"?
J Langer, M Wood, A Suppiah, J Francis, C White (capt), J Hildreth, P
Trego, C Gazzard (wk), S Francis, A Caddick and C Willoughby.
Allan Jones and George Sharp.
DATE |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
SOMERSET |
14-16
Jun 2006 |
Won By 4 Wickets |
Bath |
Surrey |
Field |
266 &
356-6 |
342 &
276 |
3-6
Jul 2002 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Field |
608-6d
& 324-5d |
554 &
329-7 |
24-27
May 2002 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
220 &
332 |
253 &
45-1 |
23-26
Aug 2001 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Bat |
278 &
294-6 |
373 &
311-6d |
6-9
Jun 2001 |
Won By 6 Wickets |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
403 &
210-4 |
377 &
234 |
14-16
Jun 2000 |
Won By An Inns & 213
Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
548 |
145 &
190 |
26-29
Apr 2000 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Field |
185 |
302-8d |
26-29
May 1999 |
Won By 7 Wickets |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
558-9d
& 49-3 |
199 &
405 |
21-24
May 1998 |
Lost By 165 Runs |
Taunton |
Surrey |
Field |
241 &
245 |
176 &
475 |
23-26
Apr 1997 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Somerset |
Bat |
209-8 |
463 |
2-6
May 1996 |
Match Drawn |
Taunton |
Somerset |
Field |
367 &
410-4 |
558 |
8-12
Jun 1995 |
Lost By 5 Wickets |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
221 &
419-9d |
260 &
383-5 |
16-20
Jun 1994 |
Lost By 317 Runs |
Bath |
Somerset |
Bat |
288 &
152 |
428 &
329-6d |
26-30
Aug 1993 |
Lost By 281 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Field |
199 &
139 |
275-9d
& 344-7d |
31
Aug - 3 Sep 1992 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
557 |
352 &
124-3 |
19-22
Jun 1992 |
Lost By 9 Wickets |
Bath |
Somerset |
Bat |
116 &
276 |
376-9d
& 20-1 |
28
Jun - 1 Jul 1991 |
Match Drawn |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Field |
Forfeited
& 172-7 |
356-8d
& Forfeited |
4-7
Aug 1990 |
Match Drawn |
Weston-super-Mare |
Surrey |
Field |
302-5d
& 327-8 |
441-8d
& 229-2d |
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