Neck and neck in promotion / relegation race

With just a month and a half left of the domestic season, this is the stage where the counties will be jockeying for positions which some of them may well find themselves holding on the final points table.

They will be aware that by the end of this month, they could be on course in their battle to gain promotion or save relegation and with some of the sides going neck and neck in terms of points, at present, it all seems heading for a tight finish.

With only four points between the top three sides in the First Division of the championship, the most important of the matches today, is Surrey, heading the championship with 136 points, against Lancashire, currently in third position, at the Oval. The return of Martin Bicknell, after his back injury had kept him out of the NatWest Trophy quarter-final game which they lost against Lancashire a week ago, will be most welcome to his side.

He has been in excellent form with 52 wickets at 16.42 and along with Saqlain Mushtaq and Ian Salisbury will form an attack which Lancashire, in the absence of Michael Atherton, will be wary off. Their captain John Crawley, however, has been in fine form with two centuries in his last three matches. Surrey are without Alec Stewart and Graeme Thorpe, on England commitments.

The other match which could bring about a shuffle in the positions at the top of the table is between Yorkshire and Somerset at Taunton. The northern county, in second place, is only one point ahead of Lancashire. Somerset, in fourth position but well behind on points with 101, will be without Marcus Trescothick who is expected to make his Test debut against West Indies in the third Test at Old Trafford.

In the Second Division, the leaders Sussex do not have a game this week. Their seven-wicket victory, against Middlesex earlier in the week took them to 113 points. It was a match which will be remembered for a century in each innings by Mark Ramprakash after his omission from the England Test squad and also for a magnificent unbeaten 173 from Sussex's Australian left-hander Michael Bevan. During that brilliant innings Bevan became the first batsman this summer to reach a thousand first-class runs.

Sussex will miss his services as he returns home for duties with his national team in a limited-overs tournament. His contribution in Sussex occupying the top position can be ascertained fron his scores of 151 not out, 166, 174 and 173 not out in four of his last five championship innings.

Worcestershire are in second place and along with Sussex, have played eleven games, one more than the other teams in the division. They are three points behind the leaders and a victory against middle-of-the-table Northamptonshire, could take them to the top by the week-end.

They will, however, be without fast bowler, Glenn McGrath who has also, like Bevan, returned to Australia and Graeme Hick who is with the England Test squad. For Northants, captain Matthew Hayden has been in good form with 873 runs at an average of 54.56 but Worcestershire will be confident after victories in their last three matches against this side.