SURREY V LANCASHIRE at the AMP Oval (CC1), 8-11 MAY 2002

Both teams go into this game with two wins out of two in the County Championship followed by some hit and miss form in the Benson and Hedges Cup.  The difference is Lancashire are through to the last eight of the B&H and Surrey, the pre-season favourites, aren't.

For the visitors the main surprise so far has been the form of Graham Lloyd, who currently heads his side's championship averages with 222 runs at 55.50, not to mention a strike rate of 90.61.  Last year the 32-year-old averaged a paltry 4.75.  He is yet to convert a half-century into a century, though.  The same can also be said of David Byas, Mark Chilton, Stuart Law and Alec Swann, but things are unlikely to stay that way on another one of Paul Brind's batsmen-friendly AMP Oval pitches.

With the ball, Peter 'Digger' Martin has led the way this season with 13 wickets at 18.38 runs apiece.  18-year-old Kyle Hogg (nine at 19.55) has also impressed as has Glen Chapple who is steadily approaching 400 first-class wickets.  The vastly under-rated all-rounder needs only eight more.  Just don't ask the Lancashire supporters who their spinner is now that Muttiah Muralitharan isn't around!

Warren Hegg, so often a thorn in Surrey's side - he's scored 323 runs against them at average of 80.75 in the last three seasons - leads the visitors.

Surrey have won two out of the last three meetings at The Oval and will be looking to get back to winning ways after last year's boring anti-climax.  Much will depend on how they handle Law and Flintoff, but, on balance, the home side would appear to have the edge.

Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe are said to be fit again, but there's less chance of seeing James Ormond who has a lower disc problem in his back.  Ed Giddins has therefore been placed on standby.

A Swann, D Byas, S Law, G Lloyd, A Flintoff, W Hegg (capt, wk), C Schofield, G Chapple, M Smethurst, K Hogg, and P Martin.

29 Jun - 2 Jul 2001	Match Drawn	The Oval
25-28 Apr 2001	Abandoned	Old Trafford
13-16 Sep 2000	Match Drawn	Old Trafford
2-5 Aug 2000	Won By 272 Runs	The Oval
15-18 Jun 1999	Won By 4 Wickets	The Oval
18-21 Jun 1998	Lost By 6 Wickets	Old Trafford
10-12 Sep 1997	Lost By An Innings & 55 Runs	The Oval
7-9 Aug 1996	Won By 140 Runs	Southport
29 Aug - 1 Sep 1995	Lost By 9 Wickets	The Oval
5-9 May 1994	Won By 10 Wickets	Old Trafford
3-7 Jun 1993	Lost By 96 Runs	The Oval
4-6 Aug 1992	Lost By 86 Runs	Lytham

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