Hampshire v Sussex - Southampton
The two highest-placed promoted sides meet in a confrontation that could prove key to their end-of-season placings, in particular for Sussex, whose points average rather than points total puts them in seventh, not fifth. Each team has won just a single game, but neither is easy to beat.

Their stars so far have been John Crawley and Chris Adams, who made little impression on his return from injury but has three tonnes to date from just four appearances, while Crawley has run up over six hundred runs in five games, Robin Smith has been performing better this summer than for some time - something that will please all cricket fans not in the way of his hard hitting at the time. For Sussex, 20-year-old Anglo-South African Matthew Prior, one of the many keeper-batsmen to be prospering at present and opener Richard Montgomerie are in the runs as well.

With the ball Sussex looked less threatening without the presence of James Kirtley, although Mark Robinson deputised ably and effectively against his native county last week, while for Hants Allan Mullally, omitted from the national one-day squad, feels he has a point to prove and is making up for a slow start.

The new Southampton ground may be less central than the old, but its amphitheatre provides a splendid place to watch cricket, and the members' facilities are excellent. A particular bonus for games such as this between neighbouring counties is that there is also ample parking.

Kent v Warwickshire - Maidstone
Both of these sides were victorious against title hopefuls last week, Warwickshire completing their first win of the year as they humbled Somerset, thanks to some solid batting and a fine all round display by Shaun Pollock. The captaincy did David Fulton a power of good as he hit his first ton of the season to set up a win against Lancashire at their Liverpool ground. There was also a return to form for Mark Ealham who, along with the ever-faithful Martin Saggers and Amjad Khan, did the business with the ball. Both of these sides have under-performed with the bat compared to last summer, but each has begun to get into its stride now, as have the bowling attacks. Like Pollock at Warwickshire, Andy Symonds has made important contributions, though he didn't suffer Pollock's indifferent start to the season.

Dominic Ostler made the winning contribution, scoring 175 and bringing up his 10,000 career runs in the win against Somerset, a performance in which he was ably assisted by the youthful Troughton and Bell. Warwickshire's bowlers have shared the wickets around with four men in the teens, but no one past the twenty mark as yet.

Maidstone has produced some high scoring draws in recent years, apart from a low-scoring shoot-out between these two counties in 1999, which Kent won.

Leicestershire v Lancashire - Leicester
Leicestershire's round off saw the two sides most likely to catch them in second place lose games in hand and slip down the table. Meanwhile their experienced bowlers were able to put their feet up and get ready for this game against their close rivals near the top of the championship for half a dozen years. The vintage pair of DeFreitas and Malcolm are ably backed up by surprise package Darren Maddy, whose medium pacers have accounted for 19 wickets so far this summer.

Bevan, Stevens and another veteran, Vince Wells, lead the home side's batting with stats for the season that may trouble their guests, whose humble record with the bat has been at the root of their difficulties in the championship. Lancashire sank close to the drop zone last game, and even their normally productive bowlers were unable to prevent their opponents then from piling on the runs (due in part to dropped catches). Of their senior players only Martin and Chapple are producing the goods, and their batsmen need to stand up and be counted. Lancashire's spin department has been below par too, with wickets coming both slowly and expensively.

Somerset v Surrey - Taunton
Somerset lost their unbeaten record in the last round to a determined Warwickshire side, and if they are to revive their challenge to the championship leaders they must avoid a repeat. It saw Somerset slip into the relegation zone, just one place above the despairing Tykes, and a squad of their ability should be looking to escape in quick order.

The loss of Trescothick and Caddick to international duty (Caddick also being injured at present) is now nearly a season-long problem, and should run machine Jamie Cox's absence continue it will be a further blow.

The good news for the Cidermen is that their guests are seriously weakened, with Stewart, Thorpe and Tudor with the England one day squad and Butcher and Bicknell injured. The bad news is that Surrey's weakened side is undefeated since 1998. Ormond and Giddins will open the bowling and the leaders' inspirational captain Adam Hollioake has now returned from compassionate leave and makes his championship debut this season on the back of several fine one-day performances. Although Butcher, Thorpe and Stewart all produced centuries in the recent Test series, none is among the county's five centurions in this competition.

For the lovers of spectacle in the game (as the fans of Ian Botham and Viv Richards' old county certainly are) this contest abounds with big hitters, Johnson, Blackwell and Dutch square up against Brown, Hollioake and Shahid. Both teams also possess a mixed attack, although the seamers have so far dominated this season for both. Salisbury and Saqlain's class may turn out to be the deciding factor here. Though they have had little bowling this summer their wickets come cheaply and regularly. Since Salisbury arrived at the Oval he has enjoyed happy hunting against Somerset - his best bowling for an innings and a match, as well as his top score, were against them.

Last year's Oval meeting between these sides saw Surrey begin the saving of their season, and with one win from six Somerset will wish to return the favour now. The leaders will want to show their supporters that their conservative approach at The Oval during the rain-affected draw in June doesn't mean they don't believe they can beat the hosts.

                          P   W  L  D  Bat Bowl  Deduct Points
Surrey                    6   4  0  2  19   18   0.25   92.75
Leicestershire            7   3  2  2  24   19   1.00   86.00
Hampshire                 7   1  1  5  21   20   0.00   73.00
Kent                      6   3  2  1  14   16   0.50   69.50
Sussex                    7   1  2  4  21   20   0.00   69.00
Lancashire                6   2  2  2  12   17   0.00   61.00
Warwickshire              6   2  2  2  13   16   0.00   61.00
Somerset                  6   1  1  4  14   17   0.00   59.00
Yorkshire                 7   0  5  2  13   21   0.50   41.50

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