PPP County Championship Preview (9 June 1999)

9 June 1999

PPP County Championship Preview

Frank Wheeldon

(11 am start)

Essex, whose only win in six matches was in April, oppose Derbyshire who have lost once this season. Recent meetings.-1998: Derbyshire won by 181 runs. 1997: Essex by an innings and 145. 1996: Match drawn. In form: Mark Ilott, Essex, has taken 25 wickets this season. He had figures of 6-20 and 7-59 in the last two matches against Derbyshire. Team news: Phil DeFreitas is out with a hamstring problem and Derbyshire include Simon Base and Colin Wells who have not played championship cricket since 1996.

Both sides have two victories so far, Middlesex from seven games and Glamorgan from five. 1998: Middlesex by nine wickets (Mark Ramprakash completed a full set of centuries against all the other counties). 1997: Middlesex by an innings and seven runs. 1996: Middlesex by nine wickets. Glamorgan have beaten Middlesex only once, in 1991, since 1969. In form: Adrian Dale, with 333 runs, is Glamorgan's leading scorer, for Middlesex Phil Tufnell has 19 wickets. Team news: Steve Watkin returns for Glamorgan, having recovered from a back strain and Angus Fraser plays for Middlesex.

With three victories and 23 bowling points from a possible 24 each, the sides are evenly balanced, though Yorkshire are struggling to gain batting points. 1988: Match drawn. 1997: Match drawn. 1986: Yorkshire won by 10 wickets. Hampshire have yet to win a four-day game in this series. In form: Robin Smith has scored three fifties in his last two matches for Hampshire. Anthony McGrath is averaging 54.50 with the bat for Yorkshire. Team news: Both sides unchanged.

Lancashire and Warwicks finished their May programme with victories in the championship, Warwickshire winning twice. 1998: Lancashire won by four wickets. 1997: Lancashire won by three wickets. 1996: Match drawn after Lancashire had scored 597 , their highest score against Warwicks. In form: Andy Flintoff, returning from England World Cup duty, scored the fastest hundred of the season and Warwickshire's Mark Wagh, who has a batting average of 51.00. Team news: Neil Fairbrother and Ian Austin return to the Lancashire side after England duty and John Crawley has recovered from an injured thumb. Warwickshire replace Mike Powell and Anurag Singh with Nick Knight and Tony Frost.

Leicestershire, without a win since April, take on the only undefeated side in the competition. 1998: Leicestershire won by an innings and 211 runs, with Ben Smith and Aftab Habib featuring in an all-wicket Leicestershire record partnership against Surrey of 252. 1997: Drawn. 1996: Surrey won by 108 runs. Team news: Leicestershire welcome back Alan Mullally in place of Jon Dakin but are still without injured skipper James Whitaker.

Northants, with one win, against Lancashire, face a Durham side who needed under 200 runs to beat Somerset when rain washed out the final afternoon's play. The matches in the last three years have all been rain-affected draws. In 1997 Melvyn Betts of Durham took 9-64, the season's best innings bowling figures. The previous year his colleague, Paul Collingwood, took a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket. Team news: Neil Killeen and Nick Phillips have been added to the Durham side, Melvyn Betts is left out.

Somerset have won both their previous home matches at Taunton this season whilst Gloucestershire, having lost four on the run, have drawn their last two games. 1998: Somerset won by five wickets. The three matches between 1995 and 1997 all ended in draws, Gloucestershire having won in 1994 by 83 runs. In form: Somerset's Jason Kerr has 17 wickets, including 7-23 which is the season's best, and Andy Caddick has taken 26. Matt Windows has scored Gloucestershire's only century this season and averages 43.80. Team news: Somerset replace Mark Trescothick with Graham Rose.

These two sides have one victory each this season. 1998: Sussex won by 75 runs. 1997: Kent won by 104 runs. 1996: Kent won by 10 wickets. In form: In four of the six matches Sussex have played, Richard Montgomerie and Toby Pierce have had century opening partnerships. Julian Thompson, Kent's cricket-playing doctor, has taken 20 wickets in his four games. Team news: Umer Rashid takes over from Wasim Khan for Sussex. Kent have Trevor Ward and Alan Wells out with injuries, to be replaced by Steve Marsh and Mark Ealham.

(11.00 unless stated)

2ND XI CH'SHIP.- (3rd day of 3) Hinkley: Leics v Surrey. (2nd day of 4): Maidstone: Kent v Sussex. Boots ground: Notts v Derbys. Taunton: Somerset v Worcs. Middlesbrough: Yorks v Lancs. (2nd day of 3): Hartlepool: Durham v Glamorgan. (1st day of 4): Bristol: Gloucs v Northants. Bournemouth SC: Hants v Warwicks.

MINOR COs CH'SHIP (1st day of two): Milton Keynes: Bucks v Staffs. Wisbech: Cambs v Lincs.

ECB 38-COUNTY CUP: Blackpool: Lancs v Shrops

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph