SURREY V SUSSEX at the AMP Oval (NUL2), 23 JUNE 2002

Sussex are likely to be without their captain and vice captain for this game.  Chris Adams is recovering from a knee operation while James Kirtley is preparing with England's one-day squad ahead of the forthcoming NatWest series.  In theory, therefore, it's an ideal time to be playing the Sharks, for whom much will depend on Richard Montgomerie and Billy Taylor.

Montgomerie has made 552 runs in ten completed one-day innings, including an unbeaten 126 off 140 balls at Leicester on Wednesday, plus he needs just sixteen more runs for a thousand in all competitions this season.  In Adams's absence there are others who can contribute with the bat - Ambrose, Goodwin and Yardy for example - but the former Northants man is likely to be the fulcrum yet again.

Without Kirtley, Sussex look incapable of keeping sides to less than 200 in 45 overs.  With 22 wickets at an average of 14.77 in limited-overs games, Billy Taylor poses the main threat.  It's all or nothing with Robin Martin-Jenkins, sometimes he is expensive and on other occasions batsmen have found him difficult to get away.  If the conditions favour spin Mark Davis will no doubt keep things tight, but he is not known for his ability to take wickets.  All in all, then, Alistair Brown needs to be looking to go three better than he did at Hove in early May.

The Sharks' wildcard appears to be Kevin Innes, who has just joined them from Northants and has made the most of one or two opportunities, hitting an unbeaten 41 against the Essex Eagles at Horsham in addition to turning his arm over to reasonable effect.

Assuming the players selected by England for next week's NatWest series are unavailable, the two sides are fairly evenly matched with the Lions' bowling attack giving them the slight edge.  As the results in the recent meetings suggest, this game could go either way unless Alistair Brown has a big say with the bat or Adam Hollioake continues to make vital breakthroughs with the ball.

Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe and Alex Tudor were all in Cardiff yesterday preparing for the NatWest series and are, therefore, not expected to play.  So, Nadeem Shahid or Ian Salisbury will be added to the side that beat Glamorgan in the C&G in the week.

R Montgomerie, T Ambrose, M Yardy, M Goodwin, W House, B Zuiderent, R Martin-Jenkins (capt), B Taylor, K Innes, M Prior (wk) and M Davis.

6 May 2002	B&H	Lost (Fewer Wickets)	Hove
23 May 2001	B&H	Won By 53 Runs	Hove
2 May 2001	B&H	No Result	The Oval
5-6 Jul 2000	NWT	Won By 7 Wickets	The Oval
18 Apr 2000	B&H	Won By 35 Runs	Hove
6 Sep 1999	NL	Lost By 9 Wickets	The Oval
12 Aug 1999	NL	Lost By 7 Wickets	Hove
3 Aug 1998	NL	Lost By 8 Wickets	The Oval
27 Aug 1997	NL	Won By 5 Wickets	Hove
12 May 1997	B&H	Won By 11 Runs	The Oval
21 Jul 1996	NL	Lost By 75 Runs	Guildford
7 May 1996	B&H	Won By 9 Wickets	Hove
18 Jun 1995	NL	Lost By 10 Runs	Horsham
2 May 1995	B&H	Lost By 8 Wickets	The Oval
31 Jul 1994	NL	Won By 6 Wickets	The Oval
9 May 1993	NL	Lost By 65 Runs	Hove
24 May 1992	NL	Lost By 5 Wickets	The Oval
21 Apr 1992	B&H	Lost By 8 Runs	Hove

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