Friends Provident Final—Kent vs. Essex, a Preview

The two best 50-over cricket teams in England go head-to-head tomorrow as Kent take on Essex in the final of the Friends Provident trophy at Lords.

This is a mouth-watering encounter as it is the perfect stage for both sides to showcase their domestic and international talent. Captains Robert Key (Kent) and Mark Pettini (Essex) hope their world-class players deliver the goods and win the battle of the South-East.

If one thing is certain, it's that it will be runs galore tomorrow as both sides have the two most prolific run scorers in the competition. Kent's veteran South African Martin Van Jaarsveld currently leads the scoring charts on 602 runs, with Essex's young England international Ravi Bopara currently on 492.

Despite being at different ends of their careers, both players' surges in form have been crucial in their teams' success in the competition this season.

Ravi Bopara's tally of 492 runs in the competition includes an astonishing double century in the game against Leicestershire, where he made an incredible half-century in just 16 deliveries.

Kent's Martin Van Jaarsveld has an amazing 102.4 average in the competition, and this includes a fantastic 122 not out in the semifinal against Durham. This shows the veteran has the ability to up his game when it really matters.

Kent's 13-Man Squad

Rob Key (capt), Martin van Jaarsveld (vc), Azhar Mahmood, Simon Cook, Joe Denly, Geraint Jones, Rob Joseph, Justin Kemp, Ryan McLaren, Darren Stevens, James Tredwell, Matt Walker, Yasir Arafat

Essex's 13-Man Squad

Mark Pettini (capt), James Foster (vc), Alastair Cook, Jason Gallian, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate, James Middlebrook, Graham Napier, David Masters, Chris Wright, Danish Kaneria, Grant Flower, Varun Chopra, Tim Phillips, Tony Palladino