Preview: Middlesex Vs. Lancashire LVCC.

Kyle Hogg is included in Lancashire's 13-man squad ahead of their trip to Middlesex after recovering from a calf injury which has seen him miss the first month of the 2014 season.

Hogg played in a Second Eleven T20 match against Derbyshire at Old Trafford this week and will be joined by Jos Buttler, who returns to the squad after international duties with England.

One man who is not included in the squad is James Anderson who, like Buttler, was part of the team which gave Peter Moores a successful start to his second reign as England coach, as they defeated Scotland.

Lancashire's previous match saw them earn a draw against Sussex after rain washed-out most of the final day, denying the visitors the chance to try and bowl Lancashire out and go for their third victory of the season.

Conversely, the Red Rose county have won just once this season and will be aiming to double their tally at Lord's, where they have a more than impressive record in recent visits to the home of cricket.

Their last ten away matches against Middlesex have produced five wins and four draws and Lancashire are hoping to make this record count in their match which starts this Sunday.

It has been a difficult start to the season for Lancashire and earning just one batting point in four matches will be at the top of their list of priorities going forward. The return of Kyle Hogg provides cover for Anderson, with Chapple, Smith, Jarvis and Ali all available in the seam department.  

Middlesex have experienced mixed fortunes this season, winning two matches with their most recent victory coming against Yorkshire after they made a fourth-innings score of 472-3 as Chris Rogers made an unbeaten 241. However, their last match against Warwickshire saw them defeated by an innings and 47 runs inside three days, with Rogers once again showing promise with the bat.

The hosts take a strong squad into the match with Lancashire, with plenty of international names such as Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn. Opening batsman Sam Robson has also formed a solid partnership with Rorgers at the top of the order and will be a key player to remove for the visitors. 

Key men:

Middlesex: Chris Rogers has been in imperious form with the bat and the opening batsman has to be the rock which MIddlesx aim to build a successful innings around against a dangerous bowling attack. With score of 34 and 82 in their last match, the Australain proved to be one of the only batsman capable of withstanding the onslaught of Warwickshire and his performance against Yorkshire sealed a historic win for Middlesex, as he finished unbeaten on 241. 

Lancashire's last match at home to Sussex demonstrated the importance of one batsman sticking about and frustrating in both innings, as Yardy made 139 and 45 and Rogers seems to be heading for a successful season after making 481 runs at an average of 80.17.

Lancashire: Out of all Lancashire's players this season, one player has continued to prove his worth with bat and ball and that man is Tom Smith. His all-round contributions have been vital to Lancashire, whether they win or lose and his consistency makes him the most likely person to make a stamp on the match against Middlesex. 

Smith is currently Lancashire's second-highest run scorer (237) and is top of the batting averages with an average of 39.50 in four matches. He has also claimed 14 wickets, making him the club's second highest wicket-taker behind Anderson (18) who is not included in the squad. 

Teams:

Middlesex: Chris Rogers (captain), Joe Denly, Neil Dexter, Steven Finn, James Harris, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Tim Murtagh, Ravi Patel, Ollie Rayner, Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones, Adam Rossington, John Simpson (wicketkeeper). 

Lancashire: Glen Chapple (captain), Karl Brown, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Croft, Kyle Hogg, Paul Horton, Kyle Jarvis, Kabir Ali, Simon Kerrigan, Ashwell Prince, Luke Procter, Luis Reece, Tom Smith.