da betsul： Both of these sides have had mixed seasons so far, each registering two winsfrom five outings, and both would almostcertainly have gone down to defeat had Surrey enforced the follow-on at OldTrafford in round six
da casino： Ed Green26-Jun-2002Lancashire v Kent – LiverpoolBoth of these sides have had mixed seasons so far, each registering two winsfrom five outings, and both would almostcertainly have gone down to defeat had Surrey enforced the follow-on at OldTrafford in round six.Lancashire’s record against sides other than the leaders is good and theywill be seeking to take the opportunity of a week off for Surrey,Leicestershire and Hants to make up ground – which they will certainly do ifthey maintain their points average.Lancashire’s weakness is that they have the second worst batting record inthe division, of the available players only the exemplary Stuart Lawaverages over 40 – indeed he registers once again in the high fifties – andhe is the only centurion.Too high a proportion of the runs Lancashire have scored in big Freddie’sabsence come from bits and pieces scores by players to whom the county lookfor bigger contributions. Even the three sides in the drop slots look betterequipped in many ways with the bat. Given Lancashire’s ambitions, theyshould be trying to compete with the records of those above them rather thanthose below.The Red Rose bowling has been on a surer footing, with Martin and Hoggleading the way. The supporting cast is strong too, with ten playerscontributing wickets from just five county games.Kent, whose batting was perhaps the highlight of last season, have also hadtroubles with the willow, with only Robert Key going on to make big scores.With the ball Kent need to find someone to help Martin Saggers take wickets;if 21-year-old Dane Amjad Khan’s first innings opening spell against Surreyis anything to go by, he may be emerging as the man to do it. Fleming andPatel also offer intelligence and economy with the ball.In Warren Hegg and Paul Nixon this match features two of the country’s bestkeepers, both of whom are able lower order batsmen.Sussex v Yorkshire – ArundelSussex secured their first victory of the season against the troubled Tykesat Leeds in round seven. In another unfortunate double header the sides meetagain in round eight, but they do so at the divinely beautiful Arundelground. This time Sussex will be without a top bowler, as James Kirtley hassecured a place in the England one-day squad. The loss of Kirtley iscompensated by the return of skipper Chris Adams, whose batting form in theearly part of the season was nothing short of spectacular, with more runs inthree appearances than the south coast side’s second top scorer, RichardMontgomerie, has achieved in six.The hosts’ current position, fourth in the table, disguises their low pointsaverage – which is seventh place. Jason Lewry and Robin Martin-Jenkins willhave to make an impression if they are to win the contest with Yorkshire’ssuspect batting.Yorkshire need to halt their slide, and like the home team welcome backtheir captain and leading batsman. The return of Darren Lehmann frominternational duties is key – their batting without him left much to bedesired. Craig White and Richard Blakey continue to impress with the bat,but it takes more than three batsmen to win matches in the top flight of thechampionship.As ever, Yorkshire will hope for their seam trio to return to thedestructive form which powered them to the championship in 2001. It iscertainly too late for a championship charge, but if they don’t startbowling sides out more cheaply it will be too late to stay up as well.Warwickshire v Somerset – BirminghamLike Sussex, Warwickshire come into this on the back of their firstchampionship victory, but unlike their fellow promoted sides their bonuspoints record is a concern. Five per game and a losing record are highlyunlikely to result in a top six finish. The last B&H champions will need tobring some of their one-day form to the longer game if they are to remain inthe top flight. With both Knight and Giles on international duty, Shaun Pollock’s form and the run-making ability of young Jamie Troughton are vital – theywill also look to veteran Trevor Penney and upcoming star Ian Bell to stepforward and make some runs.For Somerset, as for Lancashire, this is an opportunity to capitalise on thefact that the three leaders have a week off. As one of only two undefeatedsides in Division One, and as last season’s runners-up, they will see thisgame as a chance to move forwards. Somerset have both talented batsmen and astrong bowling attack. But they suffer from the west country weather, whichadds importance to these visits to weaker counties. Bulbeck and Johnson makean able opening pair. With Bowler at the top of the order and the likes ofTurner (yet another able keeper/batsman), Blackwell, Dutch and Johnson lowerdown, the Cidermen are an able team.
