MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire v Surrey
Lancashire’s new era begins with a repeat of the 2023 season opener, with champions Surrey once again visiting Emirates Old Trafford to make this a blockbuster start to the summer.
Lancashire v Surrey
Vitality County Championship, Division One
Emirates Old Trafford
Friday April 5 - Monday April 8, 2024, 11am
New coach Dale Benkenstein and his troops have been given an exciting early test of their title credentials.
In truth, the whole of April will be just that given away trips to Hampshire and Essex follow immediately. Those two counties were also in the top three places in Division One last season.
It’s a hugely exciting start to the Red Rose, fifth-placed finishers last season.
Benkenstein and captain Keaton Jennings could hand a debut to marquee overseas signing Nathan Lyon, the legendary Australian off-spinner who will be with the county for seven games during the first half of the summer.
Lyon has had his availability revised by Cricket Australia, from a full season to seven appearances in the first nine rounds of the Championship.
Lancashire’s management will have to manage his schedule carefully. A dodgy weather forecast may impact their decision, for example. Jennings says they will take things “week by week” in that regard.
Surrey head to the North West to begin their bid for a third successive County Championship title. But they will be well aware of Lancashire’s qualities, especially having been beaten by Jennings and co at the Kia Oval last June.
Opponents:
It is not far off 60 years since a county last won three Championship titles in a row.
Whisper it quietly in these parts, but it was Yorkshire who last did it between 1966-68!
Surrey’s motivation will be especially strong this year given their long-standing director of cricket, Alec Stewart, recently announced that this summer will be his last in the role. The former England captain is stepping down for personal reasons.
Surrey continue to be coached by Gareth Batty and captained by opening batter Rory Burns.
Batty, incidentally, described Stewart as “irreplaceable” last week.
Surrey could field England Test duo Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope this week.
Burns’ opening partner Dom Sibley was their leading Championship run-scorer in 2023 with 746 runs, with England Lion Jamie Smith not far behind him with 736.
Former Lancashire all-rounder Jordan Clark was their joint leading wicket-taker with 48 last summer, alongside Australian-born new ball seamer Dan Worrall.
Surrey head into 2024 with Dan Lawrence in their ranks, the England fringe batter moving from Essex over the winter.
West Indian quick Kemar Roach has signed on for a fourth season as overseas player at the Oval. He has been part of the two title successes and is available for the first seven matches of this summer.
Opposing player to watch:
Dan Lawrence announced his departure from home county Essex as early as last June, signing a three-year deal at the Kia Oval.
The top order batter is hoping the move can help realise his ambitions of becoming a more regular fixture in England’s senior teams.
Lawrence has played 11 Tests, the last of which came in March 2022, though he was part of the touring squad for the recent winter series in India.
At 25, here is a player with plenty of years ahead of him, yet he already has 6,360 first-class runs to his name with 15 centuries.
He has played a lot of T20 cricket this winter, including for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash and for the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 League in the UAE.
He will be hoping for a debut to remember this weekend.
Previous meeting:
These two sides drew the season opener at Emirates Old Trafford last April, but the return fixture at the Kia Oval went Lancashire’s way at the end of June.
Lancashire conceded an 86-run lead on first innings, but recovered brilliantly to win by 123 runs.
Having been inserted, the Red Rose posted 274 all out on day one, with Phil Salt’s middle order 56 the standout knock. Jordan Clark and Sean Abbott claimed four wickets apiece.
Surrey then closed the opening day on 70-4 in reply, though they recovered to 360 all out, chiefly because of Australian Abbott’s counter-attacking 87 not out from number nine.
He shared 130 for the last wicket with compatriot Dan Worrall (he plays as a local due to a UK passport), who added a supporting 51 from number 11. Abbott hit five sixes in 69 balls, the pair advancing from 230-9 after three wickets for Will Williams.
In response, Williams top-scored with a night-watchman’s 61 from number six, while Salt starred again with 54 in 293 all out.
That set up a target of 208 for the hosts during the latter stages of day three - and, thankfully, they didn’t get anywhere near it thanks to the brilliance of new ball duo Tom Bailey and Williams.
They shared nine wickets to bowl Surrey out for just 84 during the fourth morning.
Bailey starred with 5-48 and Williams 4-23, decisively contributing to the county’s standout performance of the summer.
What they said:
On paper, there is no denying that Lancashire’s start to the season could hardly be tougher, with the Red Rose facing reigning champions Surrey first up and then followed by trips to Hampshire and Essex, the sides who finished second and third last season.
But, says new coach Dale Benkenstein, it is a challenge he and his players are ready to meet head on. They are, without doubt, relishing the first three weeks of the campaign.
“There’s no hiding from it - whether you get these fixtures in the first three or the last three,” said Benkenstein. “If you want to be the best in the first division, you’ve got to be at your best in every single game.
“It will be great to get thrown in at the deep end straightaway. The important thing for me is that we are ready.
“You can sometimes look at a season and ease into it.
“Looking at these fixtures, we can’t ease into it. And the club have provided everything for us to be ready, with (the winter trips to) Desert Springs and Bangalore.
“We’ve had everything we need, and there’s no excuses.
“In a way, there is a little bit less pressure on with us coming mid-table.
“You would feel like we are the underdogs a bit with a new squad.
“But if we do come out of the blocks firing and have a good four days against the champions, it does make people sit up and say, ‘These guys mean business’. That is the plan.
“I don’t for one second think it’s going to be easy. But if you do win the title, you really will deserve it because there are some very strong teams around. I’m looking forward to it.”
And Benkenstein is not just looking forward to a Championship title bid.
The ex-South Africa batter wants white ball success as well in his first season in charge at Emirates Old Trafford.
“When I started off with Gloucestershire, I thought we could win everything,” he added. “That’s one of my great traits. I really do believe that.
“When I played, an advantage was that I could do something about it. As a coach, you have to sit there and hope that you’ve got them all ready.
“Realistically, yes, I do believe we can (win all three trophies this season). And this squad has shown it. I don’t have to say it. They’re always up there, and they definitely have the ability.”
How’s Stat!
Surrey's last win in the Championship at Emirates Old Trafford was 20 years ago, in 2004. Since then, the eight home fixtures played in Lancashire between the two teams have resulted in four wins for the Red Rose added to four draws.
Since that September 2004 defeat to Surrey, Lancashire have lost only a total of 20 home Championship games in the last 19 years.
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