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Essex (8) V Middlesex (6) (Southend)

Last four matches: Essex: W, L, W, D. Middlesex: W, L, W, D.

Recent meetings: The 1998 and 1997 matches were drawn. In 1996 Essex won by an innings and 51 runs in three days. In 1995 Middlesex won by 10 wickets. In 1998 Mike Gatting and Justin Langer set a Middlesex first-wicket record (373).

Team news: Essex field the same side who beat Glamorgan. Middlesex add Simon Cook to the XI who beat Northants.

Form players: For Essex, Stuart Law needs 28 runs to be the first to 1,000 runs this season. Angus Fraser tops the Middlesex bowling averages with 18 wickets at 19.11 each.

Gloucs (14) v Worcs (13) (Cheltenham)

Last four matches: Gloucestershire: W, W, D, D. Worcestershire: L, W, W, D.

Recent meetings: In 1998 Worcs won by five wickets, in 1997 by 95 runs and in 1996 by five wickets. In 1995 Gloucs won by an innings and 73 runs. Graeme Hick scored a century in the 1996 and 1997 matches.

Team news: Worcestershire play the same XI who lost to Kent.

Form players: Jon Lewis (Gloucs) with 43 wickets at 23.25, including 10 in the last match, is in opposition to Alamgir Sheriyar, the leading wicket taker, who has 59.

Lancs (16) v Glam (17) (Blackpool)

Last four matches: Lancashire: W, L, L, D. Glamorgan: L, L, D, L.

Recent meetings: The 1998 match was drawn. In 1997 Glamorgan won by 221 runs, aided by a Waqar Younis hat-trick. In 1996 Glamorgan won by 48 runs and the 1995 match was drawn. The last three have been rain affected.

Team news: Glamorgan name the side defeated by Essex, with the addition of Wayne Law. Lancashire have added Mike Atherton and Richard Green to the team who beat Essex. Peter Martin is replaced by Mike Smethurst.

Form player: Muttiah Muralitharan, with 37 wickets at 10.94 (economy 1.95 per over) will test a Glamorgan side whose last three defeats have been by an innings.

Surrey (1) V Hants (2) (Guildford)

Last four matches: Surrey: W, W, D, W. Hampshire: W, D, L, D.

Recent meetings: In 1998 Surrey won by an innings and 184 runs, in 1997 by nine wickets and in 1996 by five wickets, Robin Smith reached 20,000 first-class runs. The 1995 match was drawn after no play on two days. Hampshire have been forced to follow-on in the last two meetings.

Team news: Surrey await a fitness test on Alec Stewart to see if he will keep at the expense of Jon Batty. Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher replace Jason Ratcliffe and Gary Butcher.

Hampshire will field the team who beat Glamorgan, subject to Jon Stephenson recovering from a knee injury. Simon Renshaw stands by.

Form players: Surrey's Saqlain Mushtaq tops the national bowling averages and Will Kendall is Hampshire's leading batsman with 704 runs.

Sussex (12) V Leics (5) (Arundel)

Last four matches: Sussex: L, W, D, D. Leicestershire: W, D, D, D.

Recent meetings: The 1998 match ws a rain-affected draw. In 1997 Sussex won by 38 runs, their only championship victory and Leicestershire's only defeat. In 1996 Leicestershire won by 63 runs and in 1995 they won by eight runs.

Team news: Sussex will give a first-class debut to Giles Haywood; Nick Wilton takes over from out-of-form Shaun Humphries and Michael Strong replaces the injured Robin Martin-Jenkins. Leicestershire have Aftab Habib and Alan Mullally in place of Jon Dakin and James Ormond.

Form players: For Sussex, Michael Di Venuto is averaging more than 50 with the bat. Chris Lewis and Darren Maddy have two centuries each for Leicestershire.

Durham (15) V Derbys (11) (Riverside, tomorrow)

Last four matches: Durham: W, L, W, D. Derbyshire: L, W, L, D.

Recent meetings: The 1998 match was drawn when Derbyshire, with nine wickets down, were saved by bad light in the final session. In 1997 Durham won by six wickets. In 1996 Derbyshire won by eight wickets. In 1995 Durham won by eight wickets. The matches 1995-97 finished in three days.

Team news: Durham expect to be unchanged from the side who beat Nottinghamshire.

Derbyshire have recalled Matt Cassar to replace Simon Lacey; Dominic Cork and Phil DeFreitas are injured.

Form players: Durham's Simon Brown has taken 33 wickets and will face his former county colleague, Robin Weston, who has a total of 568 runs at 63.11.