Warwickshire will take on Surrey in the 1st match of County Championship Division One 2026 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with the match scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM local time (3:30 PM IST). Ahead of this season opener check out our WAR vs SUR Prediction, team previews, pitch report, probable XI’s and match winner prediction.
Surrey have a small edge in the overall head-to-head record, winning 9 matches, while Warwickshire have won 8, with 13 matches ending in a draw.
At this venue, Surrey again have a small lead with 4 wins, compared to 3 wins for Warwickshire, while 7 matches have ended in a draw.
So, even though Surrey have done a little better overall and at this ground, the gap is very small, and so many draws show that games between these two teams have been really close and tight.
Warwickshire Preview
Warwickshire come into this game with mixed results based on their last season performances. They won 3 matches, lost 2, and most of their games (9 matches) ended in draws.
They picked up good wins against Durham, Yorkshire, and Worcestershire, showing they can chase and finish games well. They also posted a huge score of 665/5 against Surrey, which shows their strong batting ability.
At the top, Rob Yates provides a steady start, while the middle order, led by Sam Hain, adds experience and helps in building big innings, as seen in several drawn matches where they batted well.
In some matches, they struggled as well, with losses against Hampshire and Nottinghamshire, where they couldn’t keep up with the opposition.
Overall, their last season numbers show that many of their matches ended in draws, with the team often putting up strong batting performances.
Surrey Preview
Surrey come into this game with strong results, where they won 5 matches, lost 1, and 8 matches ended in draws.
They have scored big runs in several matches, like 512 against Yorkshire, 537 against Yorkshire, and even 820/9 against Durham, which shows their batting has been very strong.
At the top, Dom Sibley will be important as he was their top run-scorer last season. In the middle, Dan Lawrence adds balance with both batting and a bit of bowling.
Their batting has worked well in most matches, helping them stay ahead or save games when needed.
With the ball, Dan Worrall has been useful in picking wickets and giving breakthroughs.
Overall, their numbers show that Surrey have been consistent with both bat and ball across the season.
WAR vs SUR Probable Playing XI
Warwickshire: Robert Yates, Alex Davies(wk), Theo Wylie, Sam Hain, Dan Mousley, Zen Malik, Ed Barnard (c), Michael Booth, Keith Barker, Christ Woakes, Ethan Bamber
Surrey: Rory Burns (c), Dom Sibley, Ryan Patel, Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence. Ben Foakes (WK), Jamie Smith, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott , Jordan Clark, Reece Topley
WAR vs SUR Pitch Report: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Edgbaston hosted 7 matches last season, and most of them (5 matches) ended in draws, showing that matches here often go the distance.
Out of the remaining matches, teams batting first won 1, while teams chasing also won 1, so there is no clear advantage either way.
The average scores were around 392 in the first innings and 339 in the second innings, which shows that teams can score big runs on this pitch. Overall, the surface allows teams to bat for a long time, and results have mostly been draws.
| Details | Stats (Last Season) |
|---|---|
| Total matches | 7 |
| Matches won batting first | 1 |
| Matches won bowling first | 1 |
| Average 1st innings score | 392 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 339 |
WAR vs SUR Winner Prediction
Both teams have strong batting lineups, but Surrey look slightly ahead based on the overall head-to-head record and their small advantage at this venue.
Even at this ground, Surrey have a narrow lead, and with so many matches ending in draws between these two teams, it shows how close their matches have been.
Both teams will be looking to get a good result, but the numbers show Surrey are just a little ahead, while the small gap and high number of draws keep this matchup very balanced and interesting.
Winner Prediction: Surrey to Win!
Code: TOPBK
