OUTLAWS PREPARE FOR GUILDFORD RETURN

After completing their drawn championship fixture against Middlesex at Uxbridge, Nottinghamshire’s cricketers remain in the south east to play at another outground for the first time in many years.

Their CB40 clash against Surrey sees them return to the Woodbridge Road venue in Guildford for their seventh senior fixture.

The sides have met there in three first class matches and another three Sunday League clashes over the years, the last of which was played in 2000.

On that occasion, Surrey took the spoils after a century from Graeme Thorpe. Notts had won on their first one-day visit to Guildford, triumphing by just 12 runs in a 1985 John Player League match, with the host side scraping a one-run win ten years later.

Trent Bridge favourites Tim Robinson and Derek Randall scored championship centuries in a 1989 drawn match, although the visitors were heavily beaten in both 1974 and 1995, with Darren Bicknell (later to join Notts) registering an undefeated score of 228 on the latter occasion.

This year Surrey set the early pace in Group B of the CB40 and still top the table with four wins from six matches, with the other two contests being rained off.

"Surrey’s season has recently been thrown into disarray by the tragic death of Tom Maynard, with skipper and close friend Rory Hamilton-Brown currently taking time out of the game."

Notts currently sit fourth, with two wins and two losses from their opening four fixtures. Defeats to Scotland and Durham have been balanced with wins against Hampshire and Somerset but the Outlaws will be aware of the importance of the Guildford tie.

Surrey’s season has recently been thrown into disarray by the tragic death of Tom Maynard, with skipper and close friend Rory Hamilton-Brown currently taking time out of the game. Mark Ramprakash, another of the lynch-pins of the side in recent years, has recently announced his retirement.

Nevertheless, stiff opposition will face Chris Read’s side on Sunday with both teams looking to put down a marker ahead of their forthcoming championship clash at Trent Bridge.