Author: Marcus Hook

Surrey’s Amar Virdi says his experience as a spin-bowling reserve on England’s recent tours of Sri Lanka and India has not only added significantly to his game, but also whetted his appetite for going a step further and earning the chance to play at the highest level.

As someone who has witnessed 20 wickets fall on the first day at Leicester, only for the match to end in a draw – in 2001 – it seemed inevitable, when a lifeless pitch was unveiled, that last week’s contest would end in stalemate.

Surrey seamer Jamie Overton says he hopes to avoid getting booed if selected for this week’s County Championship clash at Taunton, against his old county Somerset – for whom twin brother Craig has used the opening weeks of the season to make a strong case for an England recall.

What a difference a week makes. Seven days after the ignominy of losing to Middlesex at Lord’s, Surrey were celebrating one of the biggest wins in their history.