SURREY LIONS V WARWICKSHIRE BEARS at Guildford (TSL1), 25 JULY 2004

Recent one-day meetings between these two sides have generally gone to the home team, but the visitors have the better form coming into this contest. After making a shaky start to their totesport League campaign (probably caused by me having money on them to win it when the season opened), the Warwickshire Bears have now won three out of their last four TSL games, including the last two.

What success the Bears have enjoyed has been founded on the depth of their batting. Of their line-up, only Pretorius is incapable, almost, of holding a bat. It is built around Knight (491 List A runs at an average of 54.55 so far this summer) and Wagh (475 at 43.18), while Carter and Hogg can normally be relied upon to put runs on the board in double-quick time. In the last few days Ian Bell has scored almost as many runs at Guildford as he has in one-day cricket this year, so the Surrey bowlers need to find a plan for him as well.

Warwickshire's attack has got everything needed to be successful in the short form of the game. Variety, economy and wicket-taking bowlers. For variety they look to Brown and Hogg. Bell and Carter have been difficult to get away, while Pretorius and Wagh have had little problem making vital breakthroughs.

There's only one approaching milestone amongst the Surrey ranks. Assuming he plays tomorrow, Alex Tudor needs three more wickets to register fifty in his National League career.

Eight out of the last ten Sunday League matches at Guildford have gone to the side batting first. So, if Surrey lose the toss and find themselves in the field, forget the cricket and pay a visit to the Supporters' Club's marquee instead.

Mark Butcher (neck) and Alex Tudor (back) need to come through fitness tests before Steve Rixon and Jonathan Batty name their side, which is also expected to include James Benning, whom some feel has not been given the opportunities he deserves this summer (when fit).

N Carter, M Wagh, N Knight (capt), I Bell, J Trott, B Hogg, J Troughton, T Penney, D Brown, T Frost (wk) and D Pretorius.

9 May 2004	NL	Lost By 45 Runs	Edgbaston
19 Jul 2003	T20	Won By 9 Wickets	Trent Bridge
13 Jul 2003	NL	Lost By 6 Wickets	Edgbaston
4 May 2003	NL	Won By 25 Runs	The Oval
30 Aug 2001	NL	Won By 123 Runs	Whitgift School
29 Jul 2001	NL	Lost By 3 Wickets	Edgbaston
9 Aug 2000	NL	Won By 103 Runs	Whitgift School
23 Jun 2000	NL	Won By 7 Wickets	Edgbaston
26 Apr 1998	NL	Lost By 8 Wickets	The Oval
6 Jul 1997	NL	Lost By 48 Runs	Edgbaston
1 Sep 1996	NL	Won By 2 Wickets	The Oval
10 Jul 1996	NWT	Won By 88 Runs	Edgbaston
7 May 1995	NL	Won By 47 Runs	Edgbaston
17 Jul 1994	NL	Lost By 13 Runs	Guildford
7 Jun 1994	B&H	Lost By 4 Wickets	The Oval
20 Jun 1993	NL	Won By 18 Runs	Edgbaston
19 Jul 1992	NL	Lost By 6 Wickets	The Oval
23 Jun 1991	NL	No Result	Edgbaston
7 May 1991	B&H	Lost By 1 Run	The Oval
8 Jul 1990	NL	Won By 15 Runs	The Oval

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