PPP County Championship Preview
Frank Wheeldon - 24 August 1999
All 11am start
Derbyshire (8) v Surrey (1)
(Derby)
Last four
matches: Derbyshire, L, W, L, W. Surrey, W, W, W, W.,,
Recent meetings: Surrey won by 226 runs last year, the
1997 and 1996 matches were drawn. Derbyshire last won in
1993.
Team news: Dominic Cork replaces Trevor Smith
with James Pyemont also in the Derbyshire 12. Alec Stewart and
Graham Thorpe are added to the Surrey squad.
Form players:
Paul Aldred has 40 wickets at 20.50 but Surrey's Saqlain
boasts 43 at 10.46.
Durham (10) v Middx (12)
(Riverside)
Last four
matches: Durham, W, L, L, D. Middlesex, L, D, L, D.
Recent meetings: Last year's victory, by one wicket, was
Durham's first against Middlesex. David Boon scored a century in
the 1997 drawn match.
Team news: Durham add Nick
Phillips to the team who drew with Essex. Mike Brown and James
Hewitt stand down from the Middlesex side as Mark Ramprakash,
Phil Tufnell, Mike Roseberry and Tim Bloomfield are named in a
13-man squad.
Form players: Simon Brown, with 59
victims at 22.79, will face Owais Shah whose 722 runs include
three centuries.
Essex (11) v Somerset (6)
(Chelmsford)
Last four matches: Essex, W, L, L, D. Somerset, W, D, W,
D.
Recent meetings: The away side have won this
fixture in each of the last four years. Essex won last year by
one wicket and Somerset's win in 1997 was their first at
Chelmsford since 1948.,
Team news: Andy Caddick
replaces Ian Jones for Somerset.
Form players: Stuart
Law, with 1,385 runs, takes on Caddick, 50 wickets at 20.74.
Glam (17) v Warwicks (9)
(Cardiff)
Last four matches: Glamorgan, L, W, L, W. Warwicks, L, L,
D, D.
Recent meetings: Warwickshire's run of three
victories was ended when both the 1997 and 1998 fixtures were
drawn.
Team news: Glamorgan add Owen Parkin to the
side who beat Nottinghamshire. Ed Giddins and Charles Dagnell are
among the 13 players Warwickshire name.
Form players:
Steve James's 874 runs (three centuries) against England's Ed
Giddins, who has 43 wickets at 22.62.
Hants (5) v Sussex (13)
(Southampton)
Last four matches: Hampshire, L, L, D, D. Sussex, L, W, W,
L.
Recent meetings: Hampshire won last year by nine
wickets, their third win in four years. The 1996 match was drawn
and the last Sussex victory was in 1995.
Team news:
Thomas Hansen, a Danish international left-arm bowler, stands by
to replace Jon Stephenson who has a foot injury. Sussex will be
unchanged.
Form players: Peter Hartley (42 wickets)
and James Kirtley with 43.
Kent (3) v Northants (16)
(Canterbury)
Last four matches: Kent, W, W, W, D. Northants, D, W, L,
D.
Recent meetings: Last year's match was drawn. In
1997 Northamptonshire won off the last ball of the match, by one
wicket. Kent won in 1996 by 10 wickets.
Team news:
Kent are unchanged. Graeme Swann returns from England duty and
Kevin Curran, yet to play in the championship this year, are
added to the Northamptonshire side
. Form players:
Julian Thomson with 51 wickets, average 20.13, and Graeme Swann
who has 649 runs and 39 wickets.
Leics (2) v Gloucs (18)
(Leicester)
Last four matches: Leics, W, D, D, D. Gloucs, L, L, D,
D.
Recent meetings: The sequence is Leicestershire win
(1998), draw, Leicestershire win, draw. Gloucestershire last won
in 1994.
Team news: Darren Maddy and Alan Mullally are
in the Leicestershire squad, Matt Brimson is rested.
Gloucestershire choose from 12 players with Martyn Ball, Ian
Harvey and Mike Smith preferred to Mark Hardinges and Tim
Cotterell.
Form players: Darren Maddy has 888 runs,
former England wicketkeeper 'Jack' Russell has 719 runs and 40
catches.
Notts (15) v Yorkshire (7)
(Trent Bridge)
Last four matches: Notts, L, L, W, L. Yorkshire, W, D, W,
L.
Recent meetings: There have been drawn matches for
the last two years but in 1996 Yorkshire won by an innings and
six runs. That was their first two-day victory under the new
format.
Team news: Tim Robinson and David Lucas
replace Matt Dowman and Stephen Randall for Nottinghamshire.
Yorkshire add Chris Silverwood to the side beaten by
Lancashire.
Form players: Paul Johnson, with more
than 1,000 runs including 11 scores over 50, against Chris
Silverwood who has 39 wickets.
Worcs (14) v Lancs (4)
(Worcester)
Last four matches: Worcs, W, D, L, L. Lancs, W, W, W,
W.
Recent meetings: Lancashire have won the last two
matches since a draw in the 1996 game. Prior to that,
Worcestershire had three straight wins.
Team news:
Paul Pollard is injured but Richard Illingworth returns for
Worcestershire. Mike Atherton replaces Gary Yates for
Lancashire.
Form players: Graeme Hick with a batting
average of 46.50 and Peter Martin with 34 wickets at 20.55.
Source: The Electronic Telegraph
Editorial comments can be sent to The Electronic Telegraph at et@telegraph.co.uk