Lancashire (A) - 6-9 Apr (Sky Sports)

Time for the talking to stop and the cricket to begin. The season begins as the last one ended, in Old Trafford.

No word yet on the squad (!) or the availability of Pope, Foakes, and indeed Anderson.

No reason to believe that Pope and Foakes will be unavailable.

My team: Burns, Sibley, Pope, Patel, Foakes, Lawes, Clark, Abbott, Roach,Worrall, Moriarty. Leaving Smith out for Patel is a tough call, but leaving Steel out frankly isn't. Trust our specialist batsmen, pick the best bowlers available.

I think on balance I’d pick Smith in that #4 spot. Tough call as you say, Jackers.

Smith for Lawes and that’s my team too Jackers.

Perhaps Surrey will tell us the squad sometime before the toss.Most other clubs have named their squads already.

If the pitch is likely to spin, Smith for Patel would be my only change from Jackers eleven.   I do feel Smith is seriously underestimated as a batter by many supporters.   I have such a high opinion of Lawes that I would be very reluctant to leave him out as Steve would.   It is harsh, but Patel would be the player to drop out.   Patel will get plenty of game time during the season, he could become the modern version of the invaluable Nadeem Shahid who played a lot of games at a time when we had a wonderful batting line up, many of whom were often away on international duty.

No Jimmy Anderson for Lancs! Blimey. https://twitter.com/lancscricket/status/1643620068394147845?s=46&t=ogBAoy8WsYuJ9Xai-Vet_Q

Jackers wrote:No reason to believe that Pope and Foakes will be unavailable.

My team: Burns, Sibley, Pope, Patel, Foakes, Lawes, Clark, Abbott, Roach,Worrall, Moriarty. Leaving Smith out for Patel is a tough call, but leaving Steel out frankly isn't. Trust our specialist batsmen, pick the best bowlers available.

Broadly agree, but betcha they pick Steel instead of the Professor. He bats and fields, and it may or may not turn in April.

I thnk on reflection I would go Smith over Patel. Smith has the potential to score more heavily and bat longer. I also want to see him get as many chances as possible while Foakes is around and he isn't required to keep wicket. While he rarely throws his wicket away, I do notice that he gets clean bowled a lot, which suggests a chink in his armour which needs to be worked on. On last season's evidence, Lawes should be among the first names on the sheet, and is shaping up to be a genuine all-rounder capable of batting at 6 or ultimately even higher rather than a "bowling all-rounder" like Overton, Abbott, Clark etc.

Weather looks poor for Thursday, but ok thereafter.

Jackers wrote:I thnk on reflection I would go Smith over Patel. Smith has the potential to score more heavily and bat longer. I also want to see him get as many chances as possible while Foakes is around and he isn't required to keep wicket. While he rarely throws his wicket away, I do notice that he gets clean bowled a lot, which suggests a chink in his armour which needs to be worked on. On last season's evidence, Lawes should be among the first names on the sheet, and is shaping up to be a genuine all-rounder capable of batting at 6 or ultimately even higher rather than a "bowling all-rounder" like Overton, Abbott, Clark etc.

I'm a strong supporter of Smith the batsman and so he's in ''my team'' for tomorrow. I'm unsure how much, if at all, he'll be required to keep wicket this season. Even if Foakes retains his Test place (and I don't believe that's a ''given''), we'll have Latham to take the gloves a lot of the time.

I can't properly settle on the Surrey eleven without seeing the Old Trafford track but my inclination remains to go all seam in early April meaning both Smith and Patel play with Moriarty and Steel on drinks duty.

Looks a pretty decent squad to me, I hope Jamie Smith gets a start.

Speaking the obvious but much really does on the pitch, theres a comment above "if it spins" - well its an April pitch after a very wet March, so surely the liklihood is against this?

I do suspect that Steel may play over Patel as though his batting is not as good he does offer a different side with the ball - and surely Worrell, Clark, Abbott, Roach and Lawes is a handful in early April. Id imagine Moriarty, Geddes and Atkinson the others to miss out.

The tail is a little worrying, though Clark, Abbott, Lawes are no mugs. Maybe Geddes/Patel may play over Lawes if they're worried about that, especially as Patel does offer some gentle seam.

Doesnt look like there will be too much play today, sadly.

pretty much the same question for me

Burns, Sibley, Pope, Foakes, Lawes, Clark, Abbott, Roach, Worrall all start

That leaves 2 spaces which will be filled by 2 of Patel, Smith and Steel. I personally would go with the Patel and Smith in at 4 & 5 but have a feeling Steel will play. If he does then either him or Lawes will be at 6, which I think is a place too high for either of them.

Here's my preview of Surrey's 2023 curtain-raiser: http://www.ovalworld-online.com/prevlansurcc2023.htm

Surrey v Lancashire f-c stats sheet: http://www.ovalworld-online.com/fc_stats_surrey_lancashire.pdf

Old Trafford often turns square, though, so hence the expectations.

Lancashire win toss and bowl.

Lancashire:
1 1 KK Jennings*
2 31 LWP Wells
3 20 JJ Bohannon
4 15 SJ Croft
5 33 DJ Vilas
6 17 GJ Bell†
7 77 C de Grandhomme
8 14 L Wood
9 8 TE Bailey
10 30 WSA Williams
11 70 MW Parkinson

Surrey:
1 17 RJ Burns*
2 45 DP Sibley
3 26 RS Patel
4 32 OJD Pope
5 11 JL Smith
6 44 CT Steel
7 16 J Clark
8 77 SA Abbott
9 7 BT Foakes†
10 66 KAJ Roach
11 8 DJ Worrall

We're stupidly stacked on the batting front, why Steel over Moriarty? Baffling

Harsh on Lawes to be left out

I assume that Foakes will come in at 6 and everyone else drops down a place

Well, Lancashire have selected their specialist spinner, who bats at number 11. Presumably they know their own wicket.

It seems a very defensive selection, picking all three of Patel, Smith and Steel and leaving out Lawes. Let's see how it works out.

Bit of a shame Sky couldn’t be bothered to do a proper camera setup and score graphics.

Burns got a shocker. Time to use DRS in the CC.

Steve wrote:Burns got a shocker. Time to use DRS in the CC.

NO NO NO..............It's the only safe haven from a 5 minute enquiry every time a wicket falls!

Sky are just using the live Lancs stream with their
own commentary. Shows you they don’t give a f**k
about County cricket only care about the Hundred.

Sibley looking really good here. Also going at more than 50 strike rate which is quick for him.