Match Details:

The South Group match in Bob Willis Trophy, 2020 will be played between Surrey and Middlesex at the Kennington Oval in London.

The match starts at 11:00 AM local time (3:30 PM IST) (10:00 AM GMT).

This game will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the Surrey County Club.

Preview:

Surrey will kick start their campaign in the Bob Willis Trophy on Saturday when they will host Middlesex at the Oval. Both the teams underperformed during the previous County Championship and finished in the bottom half in their respective Divisions. Surrey will be led by Rikki Clarke in the absence of quite a few International stars. While many key players of Surrey turned up for England duty, the star cricketers Morne Morkel and Hashim Amla couldn’t make it due to travel restrictions in South Africa.

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Weather Condition/Report:

The Oval is unlikely to be affected from the rain on any of the four days of this game but periodic clouds are expected through the match.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Kennington Oval in London could provide a slow track for the game starting on Saturday considering what was seen during the practice match between Surrey and Middlesex earlier this week. The general nature of the pitch at The Oval varies according to the weather conditions.

Injury and Availability News:

Surrey announced their playing XI for this match.

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Probable Playing XIs:

Surrey:

Mark Stoneman, Ryan Patel, Scott Borthwick, Will Jacks, Jamie Smith (WK), Jordan Clark, Rikki Clarke (C), Matt Dunn, Daniel Moriarty, James Taylor, Amar Virdi.

Middlesex:

Sam Robson, Martin Andersson, Nick Gubbins, Stephen Eskinazi (C), Tom Lace, John Simpson (WK), James Harris, Miguel Cummins, Tim Murtagh, Toby Roland-Jones, Nathan Sowter.

Bench – Tom Helm, Max Holden, Thilan Walallawita.

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Top Picks:

Amar Virdi was impressive with the ball during the 2019 County season where he bagged 23 from only five games with help of two 5-wicket hauls.

Tom Lace aggregated over 800 runs during the 2019 season from only 11 matches with help of three hundreds and four fifties.

Toby Roland-Jones scored 327 runs at an average 23.35 and claimed 33 wickets at an average under 30 during the 2019 County season.

Tim Murtagh played 11 matches during the previous edition of County Championship where he bagged 43 wickets with four fifties at an average well below 20.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain options – Rikki Clarke, Sam Robson, John Simpson

Vice-Captain options – Scott Borthwick, Amar Virdi, Toby Roland-Jones

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Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – John Simpson (VC)

Batsmen – Nick Gubbins, Stephen Eskinazi, Will Jacks

All-Rounders – Toby Roland-Jones, Jordan Clark, Scott Borthwick, Rikki Clarke (C)

Bowlers – Tim Murtagh, Amar Virdi, Nathan Sowter

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – John Simpson

Batsmen – Sam Robson (C), Tom Lace, Will Jacks

All-Rounders – Toby Roland-Jones, Jordan Clark, Scott Borthwick, Rikki Clarke

Bowlers – Tim Murtagh, Amar Virdi (VC), Matt Dunn

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Expert Advice:

No specialist batsman on either side of this match is trustable of scoring big if we consider their last season’s performances. All of them have had a couple of big outings but none showed consistency through the season. It is the reason why only Will Jacks got picked in the category of batsmen in both fantasy teams.

Probable Winners:

Surrey could be seen dominating Middlesex during the game which is expected to end in a draw.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.