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PPP Championship Preview Frank Wheeldon - 18 August 1999
All 11am start
Essex (8) v Durham (12)
(Colchester)
Last four matches: Essex, W, W, L, W. Durham, W, W, L, L.
Recent meetings: 1998, Durham won by 95 runs. 1997-95, Essex have won
by 125 runs, 292 runs and 179 runs.
Team news: Essex will be led by Stuart Law and replace their England
players with Danny Law, Darren Robinson and Peter Such. Durham add
John Wood to the team beaten by Sussex.
Form players: Stuart Law, Essex, leads the national batting averages
with 1,291 runs at 75.94, against Simon Brown with 58 wickets at
22.24.
Glam (18) v Notts (15)
(Colwyn Bay)
Last four matches: Glam, L, L, W, L. Notts, L, L, L, W.
Recent meetings: Notts are without a win in this fixture since 1994. Glamorgan won last year by 46 runs following a draw in 1997.
Team news: Glamorgan's fit-again Steve Watkin replaces Simon Jones. Wayne Noon is replaced by Chris Read in the Notts team who include Alex Wharf in their 12.
Form players: Stephen James, who has scored a century for Glamorgan in the last four meetings between these teams, will be opposed by Vasbert Drakes, who has 65 wickets at 19.46.
Middx (10) v Leics (2)
(Lord's)
Last four matches: Middx, W, L, D, W. Leics, W, W, D, D.
Recent meetings: Leicestershire won in 1996 by an innings and 74 runs, having set a club record 512. The 1997 match was drawn and Leicestershire won last year by eight wickets.
Team news: Angus Fraser takes over as captain of Middlesex. Chris Lewis returns for Leicestershire, in place of Darren Maddy, with Carl Crowe named.
Form players: Tim Bloomfield, who heads the Middlesex bowling averages, will battle with Aftab Habib who has 742 runs at 53.00.
Somerset (5) v Kent (3)
(Taunton)
Last four matches: Som, W, W, D, W. Kent, W, W, W, W.
Recent meetings: Somerset won last year by an innings and 46 runs, having deprived Kent of the championship the previous year. Kent, needing seven off the last over, scored six and the match was drawn. Kent won in 1996 by 62 runs.
Team news: Somerset replace Matt Bulbeck, on under-19 duty, with Steffan Jones and bring in Ian Jones for Marcus Trescothick. Kent have Alan Wells back after missing six matches and Nigel Llong is added to the side.
Form players: Somerset's Rob Turner has 990 runs, average 58.23, to go with his 59 catches and Kent's Julian Thompson has 49 wickets at 19.65.
Sussex (9) v Surrey (1)
(Hove)
Last four matches: Sussex, L, L, W, W. Surrey, W, W, W, W.
Recent meetings: Sussex, trying for their first win since 1994, have lost by an innings margin in both 1998 and 1997. They lost by 135 runs in 1996.
Team news: Sussex are unchanged from their last match. Surrey will choose from 14. Added to the team that beat Glamorgan are Mark Butcher, Ian Bishop and Carl Greenidge.
Form players: Michael Di Venuto has 816 runs against Saqlain Mushtaq's 33 wickets in just four matches.
Worcs (14) v Derbys (13)
(Kidderminster)
Last four matches: Worcs, L, W, D, L. Derbys, L, L, W, L.
Recent meetings: Derbyshire won in 1998 by 28 runs, and in 1996 by nine wickets. Worcestershire won by 10 wickets in 1997.
Team news: Graeme Hick will captain Worcs and Paul Pollard returns after a four-match absence in place of Nathan Batson. Injury-stricken Derbyshire name 13. Dominic Cork and Ben Spendlove are out with replacements from Mike Newell, Simon Lacey, Stephen Stubbings and James Pyemont.
Form players: Alamgir Sheriyar, the leading wicket-taker in the country, 77 at 23.44, and Paul Aldred, who has taken 20 of his 32 wickets in his last two matches.
Lancs (7) v Yorks (4)
(Old Trafford, starts tomorrow)
Last four matches: Lancs, W, W, W, W. Yorkshire, L, W, D, W.
Recent meetings: Lancashire won last year by 59 runs, having scored 484 runs -their highest total in Yorkshire. 1997 and 1996 were draws. Yorkshire won in 1995 by nine wickets.
Form players: Graham Lloyd, with 614 at 32.31, has made high scores in his last two matches. Gavin Hamilton heads the Yorkshire batting averages with 471 at 67.28 and has taken 30 wickets.
Source: The Electronic Telegraph
Editorial comments can be sent to The Electronic Telegraph at et@telegraph.co.uk
