Author: Marcus Hook

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – or in Surrey’s case cometh the youngster.

Surrey captain Rory Burns has expressed delight at the way his side turned around an indifferent start against Middlesex to return to the top of Division One in the County Championship.

Surrey are certainly starting to flex their muscles, not that they’re doing so in a brash way. Back when Adam Hollioake was pulling the strings they were tagged the ‘Surrey Strutters’. Wind forward 20 years, this team is simply going about its business in a highly proficient manner.

Head coach Gareth Batty reckons this year’s Surrey squad is even better than the one crowned county champions in 2022.

Ollie Pope was in a class of his own against Hampshire last weekend as Surrey notched up their first win of the new season.

Surrey honoured all those who have been members for 50 years last weekend. While they have witnessed plenty of downs as well as ups at the Oval in that time, their loyalty was rewarded with one of the most focused four-day performances the South Londoners have produced under Rory Burns.

Burns remains one of the most consistent openers in the country, but whether sheer weight of runs will be enough in this Bazball era to get him back into the England team is up for debate.

Foakes laid down an early marker last weekend in the head-to-head with his Yorkshire counterpart, to decide who will be handed the gloves for this summer’s Ashes.

Gareth Batty has signalled there will be no change of philosophy when it comes to how Surrey will go about defending their championship crown this summer.

Kemar Roach is delighted to be back at Surrey for a third stint as the Oval outfit’s first-choice overseas representative.

Marcus Hook, the South London Press’ Surrey CCC writer, previews the start of the new cricket season.

So, the curtain has come down on another summer of county cricket. Surrey turn in some stellar performances in the 2022 County Championship, very nearly going unbeaten.

The South London Press’ Surrey CCC reporter Marcus Hook breaks down the key factors behind their latest County Championship title win.

Clark has appeared in 10 of the 13 matches the South Londoners needed to clinch the title, with victory over Yorkshire yesterday coming shortly after news filtered through that Kent had beaten second-placed Hampshire.

With members at a number of counties making it clear to their clubs that any reduction to the County Championship schedule should be opposed, the England and Wales Cricket Board has put back the intended vote on the proposals in its High Performance Review – prompted by last winter’s dismal Ashes campaign – until this time next year.

When Surrey were last in County Championship action at the end of July, it was their two overseas players, Kemar Roach and Hashim Amla, who steered the South Londoners to victory over Warwickshire at the Oval.

Oval Invincibles Women’s Marizanne Kapp said Emily Windsor’s unbeaten 13 in Saturday’s final at Lord’s was just as key to retaining their Hundred title as her own contributions with bat as well as ball.

The Oval outfit were without 15 players due to a combination of The Hundred and Test calls and fielded just two players over the age of 24. They were also the only side in the competition without an overseas player and the only one without a capped player.