Cricket returns to the Kia Oval for the first time in 2026 as Rory Burns’ Surrey welcome newly promoted Leicestershire to the Kia Oval for the first time in the Rothesay County Championship since 2021
Surrey took 11 points from the opening round draw with Warwickshire over the Easter weekend at Edgbaston.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
The match will be broadcast live on the Surrey YouTube channel, with a link placed on the Kia Oval Match Centre and Club’s social media channels. Video highlights, a written match report and the returning Oval & Out podcast will be available at end of each day of play. Regular video clips and match updates will be available on the Club’s social media channels.
SQUAD NEWS
Surrey have named the same 14-player squad that drew last weekend.
Gus Atkinson is unavailable as he is still under ECB directive on his return to playing following an injury sustained on the Ashes tour. Dan Worrall and Cameron Steel are also missing through injury.
LAST TIME OUT VS LEICESTERSHIRE
Surrey and Leicestershire met twice in the 2021 County Championship when the 18 teams were split into random groups instead of the usual divisions due to the pandemic, with both matches ending in a draw.
Ollie Pope scored 245 in the match at the Kia Oval as Surrey hit 672/8dec in response to Leicestershire’s 375. Both teams shook hands with Leicestershire on 295/3 in their second innings.
Both teams batted just once in the match at Grace Road, with Leicestershire amassing 496 in their first innings thanks to centuries from Evans (112), Harris (101) and Swindells (103). Surrey was bowled out for 324, with Mark Stoneman scoring 119 before bad weather led to a single innings draw.
LEICESTERSHIRE
Previewed by Jon Culley, ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay
Captain: Ian Holland
Head coach: Alfonso Thomas
2025 finish: 1st (in Division Two, promoted)
2025 leading run-scorer: Lewis Hill (917)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Ian Holland (38)
Key winter moves: Club captain Peter Handscomb is unavailable for the season due to family commitments but has re-signed until 2027 in a show of faith. Stephen Eskinazi (Middlesex) and Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire) were added to the batting resources last season. Somerset all-rounder Ben Green moves permanently after several loan spells, to be joined by Taunton colleague Josh Davey. Restrictions imposed by Cricket South Africa scuppered the signing of left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, although the loss is softened by the recruitment of New Zealand left-armer Ajaz Patel.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: Pace bowling prospect Alex Green was a sensation in last season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, when his 18 wickets included three five-fors. Genuinely quick, and 6ft 7ins tall, the 19-year-old academy graduate impressed again in the winter, taking wickets during England’s run to the Under-19 World Cup final. He will be pushing for inclusion in the red-ball side.
Aiming to catch the Test selectors’ eye: After an exceptional county summer that brought five hundreds in 16 Rothesay County Championship innings, not to mention 13 wickets in a match against Derbyshire, it baffled many judges that leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was not part of England’s Ashes squad. If he can maintain that form against Division One opponents, the 21-year-old’s case will surely be irresistible.
Final thought: Leicestershire, who finished bottom of Division Two as recently as 2022, romped to the 2025 title to end a 22-year exile from Division One. Staying there will be tough, given that historically one in three promoted teams are relegated after just one season, and almost half within two. With Chris Wright retired and Logan Van Beek joining Yorkshire, the pace attack needs Josh Hull to mature into a consistent spearhead but the Foxes will fight for every point.
