Twenty20 cricket is about to invade the Brit Oval in the next month with five games over the next three weeks.

As part of the regular domestic schedule, Surrey will play four home matches against Hampshire on 25 June, Middlesex on 28 June, Kent on 1 July and Sussex on 6 July.

Brian Lara will play in his first Twenty20 match at the Brit Oval this Monday

But as a prelude to these games, the Twenty20athon will kick-off this Monday when a plethora of cricket’s finest do battle in a Twenty20 charity match to raise money for the victims hit by the Tsunami last December.

The match is between an International XI, captained by Brian Lara who will play an Asia XI captained by Rahul Dravid. Both are world-class sides that boast players such as Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Also included in the International side is Adam Hollioake who has come out of retirement especially for the match. The ex Surrey and England captain has had huge success at Twenty20 cricket since its introduction in 2003. He led Surrey to the inaugural title and was one of the players of the tournament in last year’s competition. Hollioake topped both the batting and bowling averages for Surrey and late last year, was talked about for a hypothetical England team after his performances in this brand of cricket.

Rahul Dravid will captain the Asia XI

Twenty20 cricket has also hit the international stage by storm after two hugely successful matches. In February, New Zealand hosted Australia in the first international Twenty20 match ever and the crowds came in their droves, with close to 30,000 packing themselves into Eden Park to see Australia run out winners by 44 runs.

And on Monday, England, playing in their first international Twenty20, demolished the Australians by 100 runs at the Rose Bowl in front of a full house.

The Cricket watching public seems to crave this brand of cricket as many nations start to feed it into their own domestic schedules. Last winter, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan held competitions of their own with all proving popular thanks largely to their sociable out of work starting times. The final in Pakistan hauled in a crowd of 30,000. Australia too, have jumped on the band wagon and has now incorporated some Twenty20 matches in their domestic programme as of next winter.

Adam Hollioake returns to the crease for the Tsunami match

Some of the world’s best cricketers will get their first taste of this brand of cricket this Monday. Brian Lara, as well as many of the Asian stars taking part in the match at the Brit Oval will be playing in their first Twenty20 match ever. Lara is not known as one of the best batsman in the world for nothing and his presence at the crease in this abbreviated form of the game should not be missed, especially with the possibility of going head to head against Muttiah Muralitharan, arguably the best spin bowler in the world. No wonder they call it “cricketing viagra”!

Those present will also be one of the first to see the “new look” Brit Oval, which has undergone a facelift in the last eighteen months. The entire Vauxhall end has been revamped giving the ground a stadium like feel, which on match day should be electric, given that the match should be a sell-out.
There are only about 400 tickets left for the match, so if you wish to buy yours, go onto www.surreycricket.com, before you miss out. Tickets are only £20.

The "new look" Brit Oval

The match has been made possible thanks to Surrey County Cricket Club’s major sponsors, Brit Insurance Holdings PLC, who have pledged £500,000 towards the match.

Asia XI vs International XI on Monday 20 June beginning at 5.30pm at the Brit Oval.

Asia XI

Rahul Dravid (captain)
Sanath Jayasuriya
Mahela Jayawardene
Mohammad Kaif
Anil Kumble
Muttiah Muralitharan
Irfan Pathan
Kumar Sangakkara (wicket-keeper)
Virender Sehwag
Harbhajan Singh
Chaminda Vaas

International XI

Brian Lara (captain)
Chris Cairns
Stephen Fleming
Andy Flower (wicket-keeper)
Adam Hollioake
Makhaya Ntini
Shaun Pollock
Graeme Smith
Heath Streak
Dominic Thornely
Shane Warne

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