WORCESTERSHIRE V SURREY at Worcester (VCC)
23-26 JUNE 2024

Eighth entertain the Division One leaders and defending champions. Much water has passed under the bridge since these two met last, over a month ago, when Surrey powered their way to a 281-run victory thanks to Dan Worrall's 6-22 and 4-35.

That performance capped a run by the South Londoners of four successive wins; but then the Oval outfit went to Southampton, where they were brought down to earth with a thud. Surrey will therefore be keen to prove the innings and 278-run defeat to Hampshire was just a blip.

Equally, Worcestershire would dearly love to register their first victory in Division One since August 2018 - not least because the only thing currently keeping them and Warwickshire out of the relegation zone is Kent and Lancashire's abysmal form.

New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith (19 championship wickets this term at 25.42 runs apiece) has been key to this. But the Pears now find themselves in the middle of an injury crisis.

Seamer Tom Taylor and the Somerset and England spinner Shoaib Bashir (on loan) look set to make their championship debuts for Worcestershire, while Essex all-rounder Ben Allison has been drafted in for a second loan spell.

As the ground at New Road has spent much of the last six months under water, the assumption is it will still suit seam, which is why it surprises many Surrey followers that Adam Finch hasn’t kicked on more for the Pears since his loan spell at the Oval in 2020, which saw him take 8 wickets at 26.87.

With the bat, Kashif Ali (399 red-ball runs at 57.00) and Jake Libby (384 at 42.66) were in great shape prior to the Blast, but both could be a little rusty having not played any competitive cricket since the start of the T20 nearly a month ago.

Surrey v Worcestershire - First-Class Records Sheet

Spencer Johnson looks set to make his championship debut for Surrey, likewise Shoaib Bashir and Tom Taylor for Worcestershire. Sean Abbott (245) is five wickets shy of 250 in first-class cricket. Ollie Pope (6,910) is approaching a 7,000th f-c career run, while Dominic Sibley (7,984) is within touching distance of 8,000. Of the hosts, Nathan Smith (1,918) is eyeing up 2,000 first-class career runs.

Surrey have announced a 14-strong squad that includes three Aussie seamers - Sean Abbott, left-armer Spencer Johnson and Dan Worrall, who has so far taken 28 wickets at just 14.50 in the Champo. Keeping with the seam theme, Gus Atkinson, Jordan Clark and James Taylor are also named, as is keeper Ben Foakes, who has been sidelined with a back issue for the past month.

Surrey have not seen much of Worcester in red-ball in recent times - just 12 visits since the start of the 1990s. Maybe it's just as well given the Oval outfit have won on just two occasions in that time, including the last time they were there when the 2018 title was clinched courtesy a three-wicket victory. Despite Surrey's poor record at New Road, it would be a major surprise if the defending champions lost two red-ball fixtures on the trot for the first time since 2020.

G.Roderick (wk), J.Libby, Kashif Ali, R.Jones, A.Hose, B.D'Oliveira (capt), M.Waite, B.Allison, N.Smith, T.Taylor and Shoaib Bashir.

Mike Burns and Surendiran Shanmugam.

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