Benson & Hedges Cup - Zonal Round Preview

The final 50 over B&H competition (for now at least) starts today with some interesting confrontations.

The only one day first division side in the group, Kent, sit out this round.

Both sides have exciting Zimbabwean overseas players and young upcoming keepers, the crucial contest though will be between Essex's seasoned batting and James Kirtley who, having spent some time working on his action over the winter, has started the season in excellent form in the Championship taking wickets on fine batting tracks against Surrey and Somerset.

Essex may also be hard pressed to contain Sussex's batsmen, Adams has already scored two championship centuries this season and Goodwin, Yardy, Cottey and Martin-Jenkins have also been in the runs. However their wily veteran attack will hope to contain them.

In the two Championship divisions, the pace is being set by the two London sides, B&H Champions Surrey are notoriously erratic at the one day form of the game, but have begun the four day season in such dominant form that few would bet against them in any match right now. The B&H cup will also be special to them this year as Ben Hollioake excelled in this competition.

For Middlesex it is the last chance of old campaigner 'Gus Fraser to put one over on the county's old rivals, much will depend on their bowling though as few of the Middlesex side are capable of the ferocious scoring rate that Surrey's batsmen are capable of when the force is with them.

As in the confrontation at Lords both sides can boast two wins in their first two games of the county season. Dominic Cork has begun the season in formidable bowling form with eighteen wickets in just two games, while Martin leads the Lancastrian attack with thirteen wickets in their matches.

Lancashire's batting may well prove too strong for Derbyshire, but Derbyshire have begun the season so strongly, and Cork on fire, after a dreadful season in 2001 they cannot be entirely ruled out.

Both of these sides went down to innings defeats in the second round of championship games and will be eager to erase the memories. With Klusener as overseas player and having had a fine run in this competition last season Notts will be hoping for early season success.

Yorkshire's bowling attack and Darren Lehmann's capacity to turn games with his own brand of explosive batting will be the key weapons for the Tykes, but the clean hitting of their own lower order can be a powerful factor in one day contests.

The placid Northampton square is ideally suited to high scoring one day matches, Northant's upper order gorged themselves in the four day contest against Worcestershire with three scores in excess of 130. Darren Cousins leads their attack with Scotland's John Blain and Carl Greenidge, signed from Surrey over the winter.

Glamorgan have, in Croft, Thomas and Simon Jones - whose bowling was the highlight of their defeat by Derbyshire in the championship - bowlers who can take wickets while containing batsmen. They also have - with the hard hitting Kasprowicz coming in low down the order - batting of their own that is quite capable of posting or chasing a total.

Somerset should start favourites. With Trescothick and Caddick contracted by the ECB, the knock out trophies represent their best hope of silverware this season. Last year's C&G winners topped Group West in 2001 and, with batting that runs right down from the class of Cox and Trescothick to the power of Johnson and Blackwell, they travel expecting success.

Warwickshire for their part have, in Nick Knight and Sean Pollock two players who can single handedly win games in this form of cricket. Medium pacer Alan Richardson starred with eight wickets in their CC1 defeat at the hands of Lancashire.