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THE HOLY GRAIL by Marcus Hook

THE HOLY GRAIL by Marcus Hook

www.ovalworld-online.com/itsasurreything.htm

VOLUME.28 ISSUE NUMBER.3 START OF THE SEASON 2015 EDITED BY MARCUS HOOK PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE PURELY PERSONAL OPINIONS. ANY CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING 'OVAL WORLD' SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO MARCUS HOOK AT FLAT 1, 67 BIRDHURST RISE, SOUTH CROYDON, , CR2 7EJ or EMAIL [email protected]

FIRST INNINGS - THE HOLY GRAIL by Marcus Hook

Surrey may only be two matches into the new season, however it's already clear that climbing out of Division Two of the will be far from easy. The alliance of the number one batsman in the world, a resurgent and the new found consistency of , sees Surrey's in fine fettle. But whereas batsmen (especially those capable of saving a match) are worth their weight in gold in Division One, the best guarantee of promotion in Division Two is sides out twice.

Surrey have taken twenty in just ten of their last 47 championship matches. The Essex game underlined that without an overseas fast bowler, experienced qualified bowlers or both, the holy grail of 20 wickets will be hard to come by; and even harder on surfaces such as the one Glamorgan served up for Surrey's championship curtainraiser.

Given that you need to win a fair proportion of your matches to finish in the top two of the second division, playing on spicy '' pitches is a definite advantage.

It's a difficult one because if Surrey see themselves challenging for the championship title in a few years time, taking cheap wickets on helpful surfaces will not prepare the likes of and for bowling to the best batsmen in the country.

But, at the same time, there is no point planning for life in the top flight if you never get to experience it.

These days, there seems to be a shortage of surfaces that reward bat and ball in equal measure. The presence of and, dare I say, , could well force counties to prepare flat 'high bonus point draw' pitches when Surrey come to town this season.

Curran and Dunn, abetted by 's leftarm spin, plugged away manfully against Essex, but the absence of three of our proven purveyors of seam and spin (hamstring), (side strain) and (calf) could not have been more apparent.

Nevertheless, I was somewhat aggrieved so see Essex enjoy four partnerships en route to making 610 for eight declared, not to mention a little perturbed when they proceeded to lose to Gloucestershire by a thumping nine wickets a week later the Gloucestershire that were 251 to win Division Two at the started of the season.

One of the keys to winning promotion this season will be having eight rainfree days against Gloucestershire, and Leicestershire. The forthcoming Leicestershire game really is a must win.

It was sad to see bow out of international in the manner he did, with five single figure scores in six innings, including three ducks, in the West Indies. But, having spent so long out of the England team, albeit in Division One, it was sadly predictable. Still, it frees up a batting place for Kevin Pietersen, assuming Mooen Ali moves up to open. However, KP is yet to make a convincing case for a recall. Perhaps there are parallels with Trott. After all, Pietersen has played precious little firstclass cricket in the last twelve months.

KP seems set on playing for England sooner rather than later, but maybe it would be wiser to play the long game. England’s performance in Barbados, coming, as it did, hot on the heels of the debacle of the World Cup, has left the whole setup in turmoil. The is having a pop at the incoming chairman, Colin Graves. The ECB's director of cricket has been sacked (not that anyone has really noticed). His successor is yet to be appointed. Furthermore, rumours persist regarding the future of , who appears to be holding on to the manager's job by a thread.

If Trott struggled against a mediocre West Indies team (there are few things on which I seem to agree with Graves, but, whichever way you cut it, the Windies are mediocre), Pietersen might do well to avoid the approaching tsunami that is Johnson, Starc and the Australians. It will be fascinating to see how it all plays out.

SUPPORTERS' CLUB NEWS

REMEMBERED - GERRY BRAZIER We are sad to have to report the death of Gerry Brazier, who passed away in January. Gerry was such a kind and gentle man; not only a regular, along with his wife, on the away coaches, but a great supporter of the Supporters' Club. Indeed, Gerry was the first Century Club winner of the "big" quarterly draw, back in 1994. The SCCCSC extends its heartfelt condolences to the Brazier family at this distressing and difficult time.

MEMBERSHIP 2015 A membership renewal form has been enclosed for your completion. The annual subscription rates are unchanged at £6.00 for full members, £4.00 for senior citizens and £1.00 for juniors. Subs, along with a note of your current address, should be sent Chris Payne, either BY POST: 105 Milborough Crescent, Lee, SE12 0RP, or ONLINE: [email protected], confirming that you have made a transfer to Account Number: 15788860 Sort Code: 306538.

STEWART TAKES THE PRESIDENCY has kindly agreed to be the Supporters' Club's new President. Stewart, who succeeds Betty Surridge, who sadly passed away in 2013, had the following message: "I'm pleased to be able to accept the role as President of the Surrey CCC Supporters Club. Please pass on my thanks to all your members. Looking forward to the season ahead. Best wishes, Alec."

LEICESTER SOCIAL: 8TH JUNE This summer, the Supporters Club will be having two "away socials", the first being on the Monday of the championship game at and the second at Colchester, on August 8. The aim is to not only bring together likeminded followers of the 'rey, but also to give those thinking of attending a Surrey away game added incentive to do so. We will therefore be meeting, initially, in The Cricketers, right next to the ground at Leicester, after play on 8th June. Monday night is Quiz Night, if you're interested. But, unfortunately, there will be no food service. We are therefore looking at meeting up later for a curry (for "when in Rome" read "when in Leicester"). The three Indian restaurants we have been recommended are:

• Agra Fine Dining, 63 London Road, LE2 0PE (Tel: 0116 254 2657) • Jamal Balti House, 4 Narborough Road, LE3 0BQ (Tel: 0116 254 4355) • Spicy Haandi, 144 Walnut Street, LE2 7GR (Tel: 0116 255 3031)

If you're wondering where to stay, here are a few hotels, recommended by our members in terms of value for money and location:

• Abinger Guest House, 175 Hinckley Road, LE3 0TF (Tel: 0116 255 4674) • Holiday Inn Express Leicester City, Filbert Way, Raw Dykes Road, LE2 7FL (Tel: 0116 249 4590) • Premier Inn Leicester Fosse Park, Braunstone Lane East, LE3 2FW (Tel: 0871 527 8588)

MICKY STEWART ROOM This season Surrey CCC have, once again, kindly allowed the Supporters' Club use of the Micky Stewart Room as a haven on home match days at the Kia Oval, not just when it's cold, but if SCCCSC members need to get out of the sun. The Micky Stewart Room is situated on the fourth floor of the Main Pavilion.

OVAL WORLD FANTASY LEAGUE 2015 Thanks to everyone who submitted squads for this year, with an eye on having their membership of Surrey CCC in 2016 paid for. The fortunes of all the teams can be tracked by going to: www.ovalworld online.com/fant.htm.

OVAL WORLD BY EMAIL? By way of a reminder, if you would prefer to receive this newsletter by email (as a .pdf document), instead of having it sent to you by post, as well as regular updates on what the Supporters' Club is up to simply inform Marcus Hook at [email protected].

CENTURY CLUB

When the forerunner to the Surrey CCC Supporters' Club the Surrey Supporters' Association was formed 37 years ago, few would have reckoned on it still being around today. Similarly, when, in 1994, we decided to add another string to our bow by setting out to raise money for Surrey CCC's Schools Winter Coaching Programme, most people would have said it was showing uncustomary optimism for a group of Surrey fans to anticipate keeping it going. But that is precisely what the Supporters' Club has done. To date, we have raised over £58,500. Who knows how many youngsters have gone on to play club or even as a result. If nothing else, it must have established a bond with Surrey amongst tomorrow's cricketfollowing public. The vast majority of the Supporters' Club's annual fundraising target is generated by the Century Club, which anyone can join for just £3 per remaining month. The Century Club is so called because the original aim was to attract 100 members. So far, 96 have signed up for 2015, but we won't be holding ourselves to any ceiling. Prizemoney is linked directly to the number of people participating. Anyone wishing to become a Century Club member for the seven draws, May to December, can do so by sending a cheque for £21, made payable to 'Century Club (SCCCSC)', along with their details to Jean Galsworthy at [email protected]

January February £40 Mike Keogh (7) £40 Chris Payne (27) £20 Rod Burridge (74) £20 Doug Minde (106) £10 Doug Minde (106) £10 Bill Bateman (31) £10 David Seymour (39) £10 Rob Boney (77)

March April £200 Jerry Lodge (19) £40 Bill Bateman (31) £40 Matt Tizzard (38) £20 Tricia Garrard ( £20 Rob Boney (77) £10 A.J.K.Gray (14) £10 Philip Giles (44) £10 Edward Handley (73)

TEAM, CLUB AND OTHER NEWS

FORDHAM APPOINTMENT POINTS TO T20 OVERHAUL The ECB have recruited one of the leading figures involved in setting up two major franchise cricket tournaments, thus hinting that a restructuring of county cricket is on the cards. Mike Fordham, a vicepresident at IMG, the global sports and media business based in New York, is joining the ECB after helping launch the in 2008 and the in 2013. Fordham was also involved in the secret Project Victoria proposal produced by IMG in 2011, a model of how franchise cricket could work in England and be worth more than £1 billion. It led to an acrimonious falling out with Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, which ended with IMG suing Clarke for defamation. The case was eventually settled out of court. The Daily Telegraph (April 30) claims the ECB has targeted the summer of 2017 for the launch of a new Twenty20 competition. Colin Graves, who starts his five year tenure as ECB chairman on May 15, is conducting a "top to bottom" review of English cricket and it is likely when he takes office that the stark nature of the game's finances will be revealed. However, there remains strong resistance from some sections of county cricket to the prospect of franchise cricket, with Surrey one of several opponents. Surrey are the commercial giants of county cricket and believe the current competition needs streamlining rather than scrapping and reinventing. Just before the start of the season, the counties discovered that this year's marketing budget for the Natwest would be primarily aimed at a handful of city locations rather than the 18 county headquarters. This was met with strong opposition by counties, such as Somerset and Essex, who attract sellout crowds for Twenty20 matches, and forced the ECB to rethink its policy.

DAVID FLETCHER The flags on top of the pavilion flew at halfmast during the Essex game at to mourn David Fletcher, the Surrey's oldest former player, who passed away at the age of 90 on April 27. Fletcher, a righthanded opener, scored 13,646 firstclass runs for Surrey between 194661 and was a key part of the side that won seven County Championship titles in a row in the 1950s. He later coached the Young Cricketers. Working in with the Surrey YCs manager, , he helped to bring through the likes of the Bicknell brothers, Adam Hollioake, and many others. David Fletcher joined Surrey straight after the war, making an immediate impact with four hundreds in 1947. His best season, 1952, coincided with the first of Surrey's seven Championships. He formed an effective opening partnership with Eric Bedser, hitting 1,960 runs at 37.69, including five centuries.

SANGAKKARA BACKING FOR PIETERSEN Kumar Sangakkara is convinced England would be a much tougher proposition with Pietersen back in the side. "Kevin's a wonderful player. It's unfortunate that both he and the English management have not seen eye to eye," said the 37yearold. "I think Kevin's shown a lot of courage to withdraw from the IPL, to come over here and do the hard yards for his county. I think England will be much the better, and richer for Kevin being part of the England side going forward." Sangakkara is a class act himself, not that he acknowledges as such. "It's never been about recognition," said Sangakkara. "I'm pretty happy in my own skin, I'm happy to be myself. I think it's up to everyone else to compare people and draw similarities or differences. I'm just so happy to be here at Surrey. I've been looking forward to this. I've been talking to Alec Stewart and about coming here for a while." Sangakkara added that renewing his association with Ford, Surrey's head coach, was a big factor in his decision to sign for the Oval outfit. "Fordy was absolutely brilliant for ," said the veteran of 130 Tests. "His time in charge was way too brief. He would have been the ideal man to lead us for many years, especially building a young side. Everyone responded extremely well to him. He's got a lot of love and respect back in Sri Lanka. That's no different when it comes to Surrey. He's just a very simple man who cares for his charges and does everything in the old fashioned way a lot of love, a lot of hard work and a lot of knowledge. That's what any side looks for in a coach and it's good to be back working with him. I'm very excited. We've got a great young side at Surrey, some exciting players coming back. So I'm really looking forward to spending time with them."

BATTY: WHATEVER WE DO MUST HAVE LONGEVITY Gareth Batty's aim in his first season as fulltime captain of Surrey is to take the club to the next level, even if it means remaining in Division Two of the LV County Championship. "It is a real privilege, a great honour, and it is very exciting," says Batty. "It is a new challenge for the group and for me personally, but it's something I'm relishing. The group are relishing this season and the aim is to set something up, not only for this year, but to build something. Our group can play for years together. The thought is not just now, it is also about the future as well. What's important to me is that whatever we do has to have longevity. This is an opportunity to get a group of players to be in a position to create an environment that makes the club not only have success this year, but in the years to come." The former England offspinner, who signed a new twoyear deal with Surrey at the end of last summer, added: "I don't think we are going to set many targets, other than we will try and win every single game we play. We are very driven to get back on the cricketing map. We just want to reach our potential and our potential is hopefully to progress a lot further in all forms of competition. I think both our club and our squad suggests we look at all three competitions. Whether it is realistic to win all three, we shall see."

ADVANCE T20 TICKET SALES UP BY 25% Prematch ticket sales for this year's NatWest T20 Blast at the Kia Oval are up 25% at the same stage in 2014. Cricket fans in the capital have already snapped up over 20,000 tickets to the big Friday night matches, meaning 2015 is set to be Surrey's biggest year of T20 cricket in terms of attendances. The Surrey figures are being replicated nationally as well, with overall ticket sales 41% up in comparison to last year. By midApril, 88,090 tickets had been already sold, with aggregate numbers across the country expected to exceed the 2014 record of 707,000.

MOISES HENRIQUES LINED UP FOR THE T20 BLAST On April 2, Surrey announced the signing of allrounder Moises Henriques for the NatWest T20 Blast and as overseas cover for Kumar Sangakkara, depending on the veteran Sri Lanka batsman's Test commitments during the second half of the summer. Henriques will join Surrey immediately after the Indian Premier League season concludes at the end of May for the remainder of the T20 Blast campaign. The 28eightyearold, capped by his country in all formats but not selected for the forthcoming Ashes, said: "I'm really looking forward to playing for Surrey this season. It's a club with a proud history and an exciting squad, and I hope to play my part in achieving success this summer. I've seen some of the names that are coming to England to be involved in the NatWest T20 Blast this summer, so am looking forward to testing myself against some of the best players in the world."

STEWART: WE WOULD BE MAD NOT SIGN KP Alec Stewart, director of cricket at The Oval, has said Surrey would have been mad not to give Kevin Pietersen the chance of reviving his international career by making a mountain of runs in the County Championship. Released from the qualifying stages of the Indian Premier League by , Pietersen will play for Surrey, in the championship initially although that could be extended. Stewart told the Surrey Advertiser (March 26): "We were happy with our batting options, but when a highclass player like Kevin becomes available then you would be mad not to take him. Last year, Kevin was struggling with his knee and we all realised playing once a week doesn't work. But he is fitter and on a mission to try and get his place back. He's got his proper cricket head on again. Whether England pick him is up to them but if he gets a pile of runs for Surrey first it can only help both him and us. At least he will get closure this way, knowing that he did everything in his power, whether he finishes this summer or in a few years time." Stewart argued that the move for Pietersen would not restrict the opportunities for young players at the club: "They can only learn from playing with someone like him and Kumar Sangakkara. No one has the right to a place and we want competition for every spot in the team. We want all our young players to succeed and I think we'll see picked for the 50 and 20 overs games this summer. I also think Zafar Ansari will be pushing very hard too. It's important to us that players from our county get into the national teams."

CRICKET FOR HEROES On September 17, the Kia Oval will host the inaugural international Help For Heroes T20 fundraiser. Global cricket stars past and present will face off in a competitive end of season finale with Sir coaching the Help for Heroes England team captained by . Gary Kirsten will coach the Rest of the World team, whose captain is yet to be revealed. On the eve of the Rugby World Cup the world's best cricketers, selected by , will play at the Kia Oval to raise money for the ongoing support of our wounded and their families. The headline match will be preceded by the very first match between a Top Flight XI, who take on a Help for Heroes Recovery XI made up of those who have been wounded or injured serving in the British Armed Forces. Bryn Parry, cofounder of Help for Heroes said: "Help for Heroes is all about 'doing your bit' to support the men and women of our Armed Forces who have suffered lifechanging injuries and illnesses. This match will see cricket legends from around the World take part in a highly competitive game of Twenty20 to raise much needed funds for our wounded. So many of our Veterans don't know what the future holds: it’s vital we continue to show support for our heroes."

SURREY MASTERS' FIXTURES 2015 The Surrey Masters have announced a sixstrong fixture list for the 2015 summer, starting at Chipstead on May 24. The squad includes a number of former Surrey legends such as , Alistair Brown, Martin Bicknell, Adam Hollioake, Keith Medlycott and David Ward. Surrey CCC Chairman, Richard Thompson, who helped initiate the side a few years ago, said: "The Surrey Masters are all about celebrating our club's recent history whilst giving opportunities for local clubs to put on a big occasion in their local community. Surrey fans of a certain vintage should jump at the opportunity to see the likes of Ali Brown and Martin Bicknell back in club colours, so make sure you take a look at the fixture list and support your local match this summer! With the demise of the old 'Benefit games' the Masters has become extremely popular in the past few seasons, helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for local clubs. It helps the club reach out into the grassroots of the county, which is so important in helping drive participation and also lets the Surrey legends remind us they've still got it!"

• Sunday 24th May v Chipstead CC • Sunday 21st June v Woking and Horsell CC (Bedser Festival) • Sunday 28th June v Byfleet CC • Sunday 12th July v Ham CC • Sunday 26th July v Newdigate CC • Sunday 16th August v Lingfield CC

MAHMOOD RETURNS FOR MORE T20 ACTION On February 13, Surrey announced that will again feature in this summer's NatWest T20 Blast. Along with two visits as a Kent player, Mahmood has figured in eight Twenty20 finals days. Surrey have never reached the last four of the competition without the former Pakistan allrounder on board. Azhar said: "I'm really excited to be back playing again for Surrey in front of packed crowds at the Kia Oval in this year's T20 competition. I can't wait for the NatWest T20 Blast to begin." Surrey CCC director of cricket, Alec Stewart added: "We're delighted to have Azhar on board again for this season's T20 Blast campaign. To have his wealth of experience and skill levels is a huge bonus."

FORD: BATTY IS SPECIAL Surrey's head coach, Graham Ford had nothing but praise for his newly appointed captain Gareth Batty, describing the veteran offspinner as a special player. Ford told kiaoval.com (February 4): "We are very fortunate to have such a high quality option. Gareth is a vastly experienced cricketer and knows the county system inside out. He also has very astute technical knowledge, great commitment and energy and is hugely passionate about Surrey CCC. If you add all that together you will get a special player who I am sure will do a great job." Ford added: "He shows total commitment every time he goes over the rope and that's the kind of attitude you want the young guys to have. With the season as long as it is you need players going out there ready for hard competition every time they get out there and he's a perfect example of that. Looking at players like Vikram and Sanga in particular, there are a number of different kinds of characters who all have superb experience that he can draw on. There is also , who did a wonderful job of leadership last year." Ford was keen to praise Wilson, who took temporary charge last summer: "Gary took over last year at a very difficult time and did a fantastic job. He is another player who is extremely passionate about Surrey, but at the moment it's important for us to have some stability in the leadership. Gary is pretty busy with his commitments with Ireland this year. Batts will be totally focused on Surrey CCC and we will have the opportunity to have that consistency of leadership."

MAJOR MATCH AWARDS 2017-2019 Following the recommendations of the Major Match Group (MMG), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed the award of major matches from 20172019, of which the Kia Oval has been granted the following:

• 2017 ODI v West Indies and Test v • 2018 ODI v Australia and Test v India • 2019 ODI v Pakistan and Test v Australia

The following will host T20 Blast Finals Day:

• 2017 Edgbaston • 2018 Edgbaston • 2019

SURREY CCC AGM REPORT by Simon Hemsley

The speakers were (in no particular order): Alec Stewart (Director of Cricket and President of the Surrey CCC Supporters' Club!), Gareth Batty (Captain), Richard Thompson (Chairman), Ebony RainfordBrent (Director of Women's Cricket), Alan Dickinson (Hon. Treasurer), Richard Gould (Chief Executive) and Elliott Hurst (General Committee member and member of the Surrey CCC Supporters' Club committee). Graham Ford (Coach) was present, but didn't speak from the top table.

The President: Sir Trevor McDonald stepped down as President, replaced by Pat Pocock (who said it was the proudest day of his life). Sir Trevor said he'd seen more captains come and go in his twoyear term than he expected, in particular losing the same captain twice was unfortunate.

The Director of Cricket: Alec Stewart reported back on good progress made under Graham Ford, and said he expected more. Surrey wanted to win trophies and produce England players. He couldn't promise when we'd start winning trophies, but said it will happen. He thanked Gary Wilson for his captaincy in 2014, and said appointing Gareth Batty as captain for 2015 was a difficult decision. Stewart described preseason was "brilliant", and in particular thanked Lee Fortis (Head Groundsman at the Oval) for his team's work – the marquee had made a huge difference. Stewart was asked about the bowlers' ability to take 20 wickets. He said he was confident they'd take 30 wickets a match if Surrey were based at Chelmsford. He said the first eleven blended youth and experience, that there was now pressure for every place and, if the team stayed fit and bowled well, he'd expect us to do well.

The Director of Women's Cricket: Ebony RainfordBrent is the first ever DoWC at domestic level in the world. Her key targets are: (1) Building the team over the years and developing England players, e.g. Natalie Sciver. (2) Increasing awareness and support, e.g. the Pemberton Greenish T20 vs. Middlesex under lights on 18th May, and (3) Develop the women's game, e.g. sponsorship and the professional contracts have happened in the last two years.

The Chairman: Richard Thompson said Surrey had three main objectives as a club: (1) To create and maintain a worldclass venue. Some key stats were: • Surrey makes one quarter of the total revenue in county cricket • Surrey has one sixth of the total spectators in county cricket (2) To support a vibrant game in South London and Surrey, and (3) To be successful. He touched on the ECB shenanigans with KP, and said the ECB now needs a period of stability and common sense. He was concerned that there will be attempts to revisit the structure of county cricket, in particular the County Championship. If and when that happens, the club would again seek its mandate by polling the members. Thompson said Surrey have been criticised for making money from the staging agreement (which ends in 2022), but said Surrey are a big, wellrun club which deserves a big say in the future of county cricket. Thompson added that, four years ago, Surrey and Yorkshire prevented the LVCC becoming 14 games a side. With the 2015 Ashes, the 2017 Champions Trophy, the 2019 World Cup and a 2019 Ashes to look forward to, the ground needed to be the best in the country.

The Chief Executive: Richard Gould set out his key objectives: (1) Achieving promotion to Division One of the LVCC. He said he was very confident Surrey will achieve this, but added that Division Two will be very competitive this season. (2) Producing more England representatives; although it seems to help if you have a Yorkshire accent at the moment. (3) Increasing the number of Surrey members. There are currently 10,390 and membership has been rising for the last 34 years. (4) Selling out international fixtures, which should be achievable given the efforts of the commercial, marketing, ticketing and membership departments. (5) Increasing domestic crowds and support for Surrey (we had record T20 crowds in 2014, and 2015 advance sales are up 33% on the same time last year). (6) Obtaining planning permission to replace the Lock and stands at a cost of some £10m, which will increase the capacity of the Oval by 1,400. If permission is granted, it could happen very quickly, with work starting in September and finishing Apr/May 2016. More details: http://ovalworld.freeforums.net/thread/135/newdevelopments (7) Responding to members' concerns and requests. Richard Gould made a point of apologising for the Test Match ticket ordering debacle on 8th November. He said he is looking at alternatives to Ticketmaster. There were in the region of 1,000 responses to the recent questionnaire. There are plans to hold more members' forums; during off season there were roadshows at Reigate Priory CC, CC and Streatham & Marlborough CC. Gould said he is looking to hold more events with current and past players, as well as events focusing on the history of the club. Members will be able to buy drinks outside the pavilion at pavilion prices, there will be a new Feathers pub next to the cricket centre and the pavilion restaurant will stay open for longer. (8) Running a successful commercial operation, e.g. revenue from conferences and events are up from £1.2m to £4.5m over the last few years; on two days the week before the AGM every single room in the OCS Stand was in use for meetings and events. Gould said this gets people into the ground, some of them cricket converts potentially, and provides funds for the cricketing side of the club.

The Captain: Gareth Batty gave a short but stirring speech about how his team will play cricket "the Surrey way" with a positive intent, attacking the whole time and being good people with it. Batty came across (as he always does) as a decent bloke, who is very passionate about bringing success to Surrey. He said the older players can take criticism, but asked the members to go easy on the youngsters.

The General Committee: Congratulations to Chris Payne (Surrey CCC Supporters' Club treasurer) for being elected on to the General Committee. Go to: www.kiaoval.com/aboutus/ the names of all those elected will be uploaded soon. Eleven members (all strong candidates) stood for four places on the General Committee, the most in years. It's thought Surrey are the only county club that advertises for new people to stand as committee members. The club were pleased so many new people put their names forward, as it's healthy for the club to get new people. Two of the four elected this year are new to the committee. There was no indication of how many members voted, but it is likely to have been a thousand or so, which is pretty good. It is key the General Committee is genuinely representative of the members.

There was also change to the club rules. People who stand down from the General Committee will now have to wait two years before standing again. This is to encourage new people. There were some dissenting questions on this from the floor, which were dealt with well by Richard Thompson and Elliot Hurst. Particularly Elliott, who said that he wants to see more competitive elections where candidates each stand on their own merits and agenda, and are not seen just to be “establishment” candidates.

The Hon. Treasurer: Alan Dickinson said he would score last year as a 9 out of 10, and the club is doing very well, despite not hitting all of the targets they set. The club is usually solidly profitable, and occasionally very profitable. Some stats from last year: • £1.58m pretax profit in 2014/5 (previous years: 2010 £0.5m loss, 2011 £0.8m profit, 2012 £0.9m profit, 2013/14 £2.1m profit due to ). • Domestic T20 is obviously critical for the future of the domestic game, and needs a better timetable with no games in May and vigorous marketing. Surrey saw gate revenue increase by 22% to £1.2m and total revenues increase to £2.3m. • Developments since 2009 have been: 2004 OCS £26m cost; Pavilion façade 2012/3 £2m; OCS extension 2013/4 £1.6m. • Current debts are repayable within 10 years and total £12.9m. Additional borrowing is affordable given underlying operating profits. • Lock/Peter May bond will cost £10m, funded 1/3rd cash, 1/3rd bank loan, 1/3rd retail bond (expected to be offered to members and then public from July 2015). Retail bond will be similar to Lancashire's bond and the Jockey Club's for Cheltenham.

Other key bits from the Q&A: • Surrey are not going back to Whitgift any time soon, it seems. The key issue seems to be facilities: changing rooms, pavilion, nets etc. No mention of the pitch. Sounds like they'd be keen to return at some point in the future, but the focus for now is on Guildford. • Surrey are keen to see the T20 Finals Day changed to just the final, so clubs can host the semifinals themselves. • No interest in T20 franchises or rebranding. This is being led by the smaller, less successful clubs. • Surrey pays at least the minimum wage, and is trying to get to the point where it is paying the London Living Wage. Surrey is a major employer in SE11, and has seen a number of stewards go on to more senior roles in the club. The club uses zerohour contracts to employ parttime staff, which is helpful given some of the roles, but wants to ensure staff are treated well.

THE STORY (SO FAR) OF SURREY'S 2015 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

19, 20, 21 and 22 April 2015: Glamorgan v Surrey at Surrey 563-7d (SM Davies 200*, KC Sangakkara 149, RJ Burns 50, ZS Ansari 48, A Carter 4-110) & 207-4d (KP Pietersen 53*, GC Wilson 47*, KC Sangakkara 40, GG Wagg 2-46). Glamorgan 419 (CAJ Meschede 101*, JA Rudolph 69, CA Ingram 56, MA Wallace 51, GJ Batty 3-110) & 116-0 (JA Rudolph 52*, JM Kettleborough 50*). Match drawn. Team news: RJ Burns, ZS Ansari, KC Sangakkara, KP Pietersen, SM Davies, JJ Roy, GC Wilson (wk), GJ Batty (capt), TK Curran, JW Dernbach and MP Dunn. Significant to the outcome was: The pitch. Not a ball lost to weather and only 21 poles in four days. Still, who knows what might have happened had Craig Meschede and not added 119 in 39 overs for Glamorgan's ninth . Reaction: "I was really pleased with the standard of cricket we played," said Head Coach, Graham Ford. "We worked hard during preseason. Some of our guys have put in a lot of work and travelled away to improve their game. To see them get some rewards and to see them in pretty good touch was pleasing. Having elected to bat first it's always important you get through that first hour. There was a little bit in the wicket at that stage and the openers set the tone really well, which is important if you want to make a big score. I'm just so happy to see Steven Davies play well. He showed a real determination in the winter to improve his batting. He went away to Cape Town over January and February, worked really hard and came back and continued the good work back at base. It just great to see him go on and play so well. He put on a wonderful display."

26, 27, 28 and 29 April 2015: Surrey v Essex at the Kia Oval Surrey 340 (SM Davies 81, RJ Burns 78, KC Sangakkara 52, GC Wilson 46, GR Napier 3-63, JD Ryder 3-78) & 95-2 (KC Sangakkara 43, RJ Burns 41*). Essex 610-8d (DW Lawrence 161, NLJ Browne 143, GR Napier 73, JC Mickleburgh 61, JD Ryder 57, GM Smith 50*, ZS Ansari 4-149). Match drawn. Team news: Surrey unchanged. Significant to the outcome was: The weather, primarily. But had Surrey lost, it probably would have been down to a late order collapse if their first innings was anything to go by 3115 became 3407, which then became 340 all out. Dernbach (side strain) and Batty (calf) bowled just 30.2 overs of the 140.4 Essex faced. 17yearold Daniel Lawrence cashed in by becoming the thirdyoungest player in County Championship history to score a hundred. Reaction: "Normally you'd say this sort of a break early on in the season is a bad thing, but on this occasion it's probably a good thing for us," said Surrey skipper Gareth Batty. "We probably weren't at our best against Essex. Some of the good work we did down in Cardiff we didn't get as right. It was a good toss for Essex to win. It was a good pitch with a little bit of overcast conditions. It did a little bit and I think we did well to get 340. We could have got more, obviously, and we could have done better when we had a go bowling on it ourselves. The weather took its toll of the game anyway, so I guess if we did get it wrong, it was a good time to get it wrong. It's not all doom and gloom. We've not lost a game of cricket. We've been doing some very good things, so it's not a case of back to the drawing board. It's a case of we've been doing some things very well and we just need to tweak a couple of things. We all know what our jobs are and we'll be getting that right."

THE STORY OF SURREY'S 2014 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

6, 7, 8 and 9 April 2014: Surrey v Glamorgan at the Kia Oval Surrey 280 (ZS Ansari 74, SM Davies 67, J Allenby 4-47, MG Hogan 3-81) & 81 (GG Wagg 6-29, MG Hogan 4-31). Glamorgan 209 (J Allenby 52, SC Meaker 4-57, TE Linley 3-24) & 156-0 (GP Rees 75*, WD Bragg 72*). Glamorgan won by 10 wickets. Team news: RJ Burns, GC Smith (capt), DP Sibley, ZS Ansari, SM Davies (wk), GC Wilson, JJ Roy, TK Curran, SC Meaker, CT Tremlett and TE Linley. Significant to the outcome was: Surrey slumping to their lowest total in firstclass cricket since 1992, and their feeblest effort at the Oval since 1978. Reaction: "We played some good cricket for three days, but then this morning a very fine bowling spell blew us away and, unfortunately, we found ourselves in a lot of trouble," said Graham Ford, Surrey's new head coach. "Certainly, there were some positives, but at the end of the day if you want to be successful... you can have some sessions when you don't play that well, but you can't have sessions where you undo all the good that you've put in place. It's quite hard to analyse. To lose eight wickets for thirtyodd runs shouldn't happen. But having said that the ball did swing a great deal and, unfortunately, we either got nicks or lbw. We didn't seem to manage to swing the ball as much as they swung it. The swing really was the undoing of our batting. We never really got the ball to swing, in both innings really. It's all very disappointing because we probably got the wrong end of the toss and played ourselves into a really good position. But in one session of madness all the good work was undone."

20, 21, 22 and 23 April 2014: Surrey v Essex at the Kia Oval Essex 306 (RS Bopara 49, MP Dunn 5-60) & 258-4d (AN Cook 127, T Westley 42, RS Bopara 42). Surrey 237 (GC Smith 65, JJ Roy 46, TS Mills 4-45). Match drawn. Team news: In JW Dernbach and MP Dunn. Out TK Curran and TE Linley. Significant to the outcome was: The weather. Reaction: "It would have been interesting if we'd had the full four days," said Matt Dunn. "It was unfortunate we couldn't because I think we played some very good cricket. There's definitely still things to work on. I think all of the guys know what we need to improve, but, also, what we're actually doing well. We're just looking forward now and I think all the guys are positive. The last month or so has gone really well for me. I've hit a really nice rhythm and that came into my performance. So I'm obviously delighted with it. In the first innings especially we bowled amazingly as a bowling group. I was in partnership with Chris Tremlett, initially. He bowled really well at the other end, making it a lot easier for myself. It was a great bowling performance. I was just the lucky one."

27, 28, 29 and 30 April 2014: v Surrey at the Rose Bowl Hampshire 400-6d (JM Vince 159, JHK Adams 65, SC Meaker 2-72). Surrey 99-2 (RJ Burns 53*). Match drawn. Team news: In TK Curran. Out CT Tremlett (back). Significant to the outcome was: Once again, the weather. Reaction: "I'm a little disappointed in Hampshire," said . "I used to hear Warney () talk about their positive play, but they didn't want to set up a game. If it was September it might have been different. We're a young side that likes to challenge ourselves. Any opportunity to make a game of it and take the game forward and learn and hopefully get a positive result is the way that we want to go so it was disappointing it didn't work out. Hampshire had an opportunity to gain 16 points because we'd have certainly gone for a target if we'd had an opportunity to create one. But it was nice they showed a lot of confidence in us, they obviously see us as title contenders. We'll take that as a compliment."

4, 5, 6 and 7 May 2014: Kent v Surrey at Canterbury. Surrey 285 (JJ Roy 60, ZS Ansari 48, AEN Riley 4-77) & 203 (SM Davies 40, AEN Riley 5-78, ME Claydon 3-54). Kent 435 (RWT Key 126, BP Nash 126, SA Northeast 53, MP Dunn 3-104) & 54-2 (DJ Bell-Drummond 29*, A Kapil 2-29). Kent won by 8 wickets. Team news: In A Harinath and A Kapil. Out TK Curran and GC Wilson (international duty) Significant to the outcome was: Rob Key and Brendan Nash's 197run stand for the third wicket in Kent's first innings and the offspin of Adam Riley. Had Gareth Batty not been sidelined with a broken finger it might well have been a very different story. Reaction: "There is work to be done in our camp," admitted Graham Ford. "There have been some bright periods, little things we can be positive about. The important thing is we start to grow those things. I'm not sure how long it will take, but we really need to start putting it together and have long periods of good performances. At the moment it's little flashes here and there. A number of our lads got in, but nobody converted. When Kent batted, the batters who got in converted. That makes a big difference. Obviously the bowling, and the pressure created by the bowling contributes to that. We were a little loose, at times, in our bowling. Full marks to the Kent bowlers who went out and really gave us nothing. There was very little loose stuff for us to feed off."

11, 12, 13 and 14 May 2014: Surrey v Gloucestershire Gloucestershire 168 (WA Tavare 59, MP Dunn 5-48) & 230 (CDJ Dent 54, HJH Marshall 47*, CT Tremlett 6-59). Surrey 132 (JJ Roy 44, JK Fuller 6-47) & 267-6 (GC Smith 103, SM Davies 61, RJ Burns 45, MD Taylor 2-48). Surrey won by 4 wickets. Team news: In TK Curran, TE Linley, CT Tremlett and GC Wilson (as wicketkeeper). Out JW Dernbach, A Harinath, A Kapil and SC Meaker. Significant to the outcome was: Graeme Smith's brilliant 103 off 112 balls, which turned out to be the South African's swansong. Other than Steven Davies, who backed his skipper up with an assured 61, the Oval outfit had a bit of a wobble before making the highest total in the game to seal victory with four wickets to spare. Reaction: "It's been a fairly tough start of the year," said Graeme Smith. "We've got a young group of guys and we've got a lot of learning to do. Also, the weather has been tough in terms of adapting. The victory is important because when you're young, and you've had a tough few years, confidence is something you need to work on. So, days like today really help. We were in a tough position after first innings, so it was great to see someone of Chris Tremlett's calibre really open the game up for us." Smith added: "I'm not going to lie. It hasn't been easy for me. Mentally, I was fairly drained, especially retiring (from ) with the amount of media work that went on after that; dealing with all the emotions. Relocating on top of that hasn't been easy. There were a lot of challenges initially. But I'm starting to feel a little bit more relaxed now. The club has been good to me and, hopefully, we'll now go from strength to strength."

25, 26, 27 and 28 May 2014: Essex v Surrey at Chelmsford Essex 228 (T Westley 95, BT Foakes 55, GJ Batty 8-68). Surrey 261-7 (A Harinath 63, SM Davies 54, MS Panesar 2-54). Match drawn. Team news: In HM Amla, GJ Batty and A Harinath. Out TE Linley, DP Sibley and GC Smith (fractured knee, GC Wilson made captain). Significant to the outcome was: Yet again, the weather, which put paid to the entire fourth day. Reaction: "It's pretty wet out there. The umpires realised we weren't going to get a huge amount of play today, if any at all, so, as there was no chance of a positive result, common sense prevailed," said Gary Wilson, after his first game as Surrey captain. "Yesterday was especially frustrating, with bad light around. I thought we could get ourselves into a pretty good position, but unfortunately the weather intervened and it wasn't to be. We did really well to restrict them to 228 and we absorbed a lot of pressure with the bat. First game in charge the boys were excellent and really got behind me."

1, 2, 3 and 3 June 2014: Surrey v Worcestershire at the Kia Oval Worcestershire 476 (MM Ali 162, OB Cox 64, DKH Mitchell 62, MG Pardoe 52, RA Whiteley 43, TC Fell 42, CT Tremlett 3-61, GJ Batty 3-102). Surrey 206 (RJ Burns 79, ZS Ansari 77*, JD Shantry 6-53) & 240-5 (SM Davies 77, ZS Ansari 62, JJ Roy 45*). Match drawn. Team news: In JW Dernbach and VS Solanki. Out HM Amla (prior engagement with ) and TK Curran (ALevel exams). Significant to the outcome was: Zafar Ansari's innings of 77 and 62, without which Surrey would almost certainly have lost, in spite of the weather, which lopped an hour off day three and three and a half hours off the fourth and final day. Reaction: "The rain shut out any chance of losing the game," said Zafar Ansari. "Steve Davies and Jason Roy batted really well today. For me it was a case of two different innings. We lost wickets quite quickly in the first innings, so it was about trying to prolong things as much as possible and,once it was clear we weren't going to get a positive result, to take time out of the game. Again, second time around, the emphasis was on batting time, but also trying to score runs and try and get close to their score. The pitch helped in that wasn't able to spin it that big, both ways, as he would have liked. So, if you were able to pick it in the air, you were able to make adjustments, knowing big things weren't going to happen off the wicket. With the other bowlers it was just about understanding how they were trying to get you out and stopping it happening. I was really happy with how I played. It's nice to get runs and the manner I was able to get them against some good bowlers."

9, 10, 11 and 12 June 2014: Gloucestershire v Surrey at Gloucestershire 112 (GO Jones 28, MP Dunn 4-37, JJ Roy 3-9) & 506-6 (IA Cockbain 151*, M Klinger 120, TMJ Smith 80, GJ Batty 2-96). Surrey 626-6d (RJ Burns 199, VS Solanki 143, JJ Roy 121*, ZS Ansari 98, WRS Gidman 2-75). Match drawn. Team news: In HM Amla. Out A Harinath. Significant to the outcome was: The pitch, which may come as a surprise given that Gloucestershire were bundled out for 112 first up. Thereafter, it yielded just 12 wickets in 344 overs. Reaction: "There's not much more we could have done there," said Surrey skipper Gary Wilson. "We literally tried everything and nothing really went for us. To bowl them out for 112 on the first day was incredible, because the wicket was flat from ball one. We might have used up all our luck there, because they just seemed to nick everything. In the second innings they seemed to miss everything that didn't hit the middle of the bat. But I couldn't ask any more of any of the bowlers. We are disappointed because we haven't won the game, but we want this to be the start of things and we'll be looking to put things right up at ."

15, 16, 17 and 18 June 2014: Derbyshire v Surrey at Derby Derbyshire 153 (MJ North 44, TK Curran 5-51, JW Dernbach 3-41) & 288 (DJ Wainwright 56*, SL Elstone 47, GJ Batty 4-69, ZS Ansari 4-96). Surrey 421 (SM Davies 124, ZS Ansari 105, VS Solanki 52, CT Tremlett 43, MHA Footitt 4-63) & 21-0. Surrey won by 10 wickets. Team news: In TK Curran. Out MP Dunn. Significant to the outcome was: Restricting Derbyshire to just 153 on the opening day after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat on a very dry wicket. Jade Dernbach ripped the heart out of the top order, but Tom Curran was outstanding, polishing off the tail to record a maiden first fivefer. Reaction: "After what happened down at Gloucester, where we toiled for two days and unfortunately didn't quite come out on the right end of it, the way our bowlers performed on the first morning was outstanding," said Gary Wilson. "Tom Curran especially. Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty bowled beautifully in the second innings. It was a very different wicket to Bristol, where we could have bowled for another day and not won. But we're starting to look like a good side now. The challenge is to keep it going. It's a really cluttered fixture list. For the next four weeks we've got two or maybe three days off, so it'll be interesting."

22, 23, 24 and 25 June 2014: Surrey v Leicestershire at the Kia Oval Surrey 522 (GC Wilson 160*, CT Tremlett 90, JJ Roy 76, HM Amla 71, VS Solanki 54, RML Taylor 3-81) & 69-0 (RJ Burns 40*). Leicestershire 271 (AJ Robson 75, CT Tremlett 3-28) & 319 (AJ Robson 81, CE Shreck 56, ZS Ansari 5-93, GJ Batty 4-83). Surrey won by 10 wickets. Team news: In MP Dunn. Out TK Curran (calf strain). Significant to the outcome was: Surrey having what seemed to be one of the few spin duos in the country. Between them Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty took a combined 12 wickets for 235 off 106 overs. Reaction: "Leicestershire made it tough for us," said Stuart Barnes, Surrey's bowling coach. "We persevered nicely, especially with the plans we talked about on the third morning. Making them follow on was our best way of winning the game, albeit on a fairly easypaced wicket. It offered some spin and with the new ball we got it to swing nicely as well. As soon as the decision was made to make them follow on, and, just prior to that Jade (Dernbach) having coming off injured, we knew as a team that it was the right decision. Yes we were a man down, it just meant somebody had to sweep up and do his work for him, and everyone bought into that. Patience is one of the attributes that this bowling group is becoming better and better at. It's something we talked long and hard about during preseason, and what that looked like. On day three Dunny (Matt Dunn) and Jade really got us going nicely by picking up a couple of early wickets. The plan after that was guys coming in behind to sustain that pressure."

28, 29, 30 June - 1 July 2014: Surrey v Hampshire at the Kia Oval Surrey 474 (JJ Roy 114, GC Wilson 82, TM Dilshan 69, VS Solanki 57, DR Briggs 3-144) & 13-0d. Hampshire 354 (WR Smith 82, SM Ervine 80, JHK Adams 79, GJ Batty 3-74). Match drawn. Team news: In TM Dilshan, TE Linley and KJ O'Brien. Out HM Amla, JW Dernbach (hamstring) and CT Tremlett. Significant to the outcome was: Some would say the weather, others would say the pitch, which was the same as the strip used for the Leicestershire game. It was probably a combination of the two, although the fact remains that only 20 wickets fell in the 271.1 overs possible. Reaction: "Unfortunately we were just beaten by the weather," said Gary Wilson. "The deck was a flat one even though it was seven days old. It was unfortunate that the first day was rained out because there would have been a good chance of a positive result had that not been the case. We bowled them out the once. There just wasn't enough time to go and do it again. But credit to our bowlers, who stuck to the task really well. I think Gareth Batty's going to be two foot shorter by the time I've finished with him this season. But he's doing a great job for us at the minute. The two main spinners, Gareth and Zafar, have been unbelievable for us this year. I'm sure they'll continue to be, ably backed up by Vikram (Solanki) and Dilly (). The most important thing is we're playing good cricket. We can't expect to win every game in the championship. But we've won our last two and we've got a decent result here against a top of the table Hampshire side."

6, 7, 8 and 9 July 2014: Glamorgan v Surrey at Colwyn Bay Glamorgan 232 (J Allenby 69, CB Cooke 45, CT Tremlett 5-60, TK Curran 4-88) and 398 (CB Cooke 83*, JA Rudolph 73, WD Bragg 73, MW Goodwin 45, MP Dunn 4-124). Surrey 589-8d (ZS Ansari 112, RJ Burns 97, GC Wilson 97*, JJ Roy 70, A Harinath 60, CT Tremlett 56, J Allenby 2- 77) & 43-1. Surrey won by 9 wickets. Team news: In TK Curran, A Harinath and CT Tremlett. Out TM Dilshan (international duty), TE Linley and KJ O'Brien. Significant to the outcome was: The collapse brought about by the introduction of Arun Harinath's gentle medium pace shortly before tea on the final day. Harinath took two wickets in five balls and Glamorgan slipped from 3575 to 398 in the space of ten overs, leaving the visitors needing a mere 42 for victory. Reaction: "There's been talk about promotion in parts of the press," said Surrey skipper Gary Wilson. "All we want to do is concentrate on playing good cricket and hopefully the rest will take care of itself. We're playing good cricket at the minute. That's what we've said all along we just want to play good cricket. As long as we're doing that hopefully the wins will take care of themselves. We had to work hard. That was a proper old school win. Don't underestimate how flat the wicket was. Our bowlers did a very good job there on the final day. Everyone chipped in at different times. It was a real team performance again from us. Dunny (Matt Dunn) was brilliant. He's been so unlucky this year. He doesn't have the stats he deserves. He's had a number of dropped catches, a lot of play and misses, but on day four he picked up four wickets and did a great job for us. Was it the last throw of the dice, or did I have faith in Arun Harinath? I'll just keep that one close to my chest and not say. The Baron he's our new all rounder. He's been working hard on his bowling. We just thought something different might crack it and luckily it worked out."

20, 21, 22 and 23 July 2014: Surrey v Kent at Guildford Kent 408 (SA Northeast 91, SW Billings 82*, SC Meaker 4-106) & 292 (RWT Key 59, SW Billings 57*, BP Nash 51, CJ Haggett 44, SC Meaker 7-90). Surrey 398 (JJ Roy 84, GC Wilson 84, SC Meaker 53, DI Stevens 4-110) & 213 (TM Dilshan 68, DI Stevens 5-68, ME Claydon 3-62). Kent won by 89 runs. Team news: In TM Dilshan, TE Linley and SC Meaker. Out TK Curran (ankle), A Harinath and CT Tremlett. Significant to the outcome were: Those perennial thorns in Surrey's side Rob Key, who hit a crucial 59 on day three, and , who polished Surrey off with 568 on the final day. also gave notice that he's one for the future, making runs in both innings and claiming five catches behind the stumps. Reaction: "It's a game we really shouldn’t have lost," said Gary Wilson. "It’s difficult to put our finger on it. I do think it was the right decision to bowl first. It was a different Guildford wicket than we're used to, but we didn't make the most of the assistance on the first morning. We fought back well with the bat in the middle period, Jason Roy and myself and the partnership down the bottom was excellent. Stuart Meaker then bowled very well, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Meaks didn't deserve to be on the losing side, the way he bowled. A couple of balls exploded and we lost wickets at the top. I think we were in a position to win the game, but we weren't quite good enough. I would love to go up this season and I think it's still possible. I don't see too many better sides than us in Division Two, man for man. We've always said it's about progression. I don't want to hide behind comments like that because we always disappointed when we lose games of cricket, but you dust yourselves down."

15, 16, 17 and 18 August 2014: Leicestershire v Surrey at Leicester Surrey 480 (SM Davies 174, VS Solanki 93, SC Meaker 58, JJ Roy 42, RML Taylor 4-91) & 279-5d (RJ Burns 102, JJ Roy 44*, ZS Ansari 43, JKH Naik 3-85). Leicestershire 373 (NJ O'Brien 89*, RML Taylor 54, DJ Redfern 52, EJH Eckersley 40, GJ Batty 3-38, TE Linley 3-54, CT Tremlett 3- 105) & 232-6 (DJ Redfern 64, JKH Naik 42*, RML Taylor 40*, SC Meaker 4-146). Match drawn. Team news: Out MP Dunn (back). In CT Tremlett. Significant to the outcome was: A combination of the weather and Rob Taylor, who delivered with the bat at crucial times in both innings for the hosts, helping to put on 99 for the sixth wicket in Leicestershire's first dig and an unbroken 85 for the seventh in the second. Reaction: "We set the game up nicely," said Surrey skipper Gary Wilson. "We definitely played the best cricket over the four days. It's just frustrating the weather came in there. We had a look at the radar and there were a couple of scattered showers around. We certainly didn't think we'd get one that would take that much out of the game. We would only have had an extra six overs at them if we had declared last night. Would that have made a difference in the context of the game? Probably not."

9, 10, 11 and 12 September 2014: Worcestershire v Surrey at Worcester Worcestershire 272 (J Leach 70, MM Ali 54, T Kohler-Cadmore 51, MP Dunn 3-68) & 350 (JD Shantry 101*, MM Ali 51, J Leach 50, JW Dernbach 4-72). Surrey 406 (JJ Roy 103, RJ Burns 91, GC Wilson 77, SM Davies 69, JD Shantry 6-87) & 189 (ZS Ansari 64, VS Solanki 58, JD Shantry 4- 44, MM Ali 3-63). Worcestershire won by 27 runs. Team news: In JW Dernbach, MP Dunn and A Kapil. Out TM Dilshan (international duty), TE Linley and CT Tremlett (shoulder). Significant to the outcome was: , who became the first opposition player to hit a hundred and take ten wickets in a championship match against Surrey since Middlesex's in 1947. Reaction: "We were in a great position overnight," said Gary Wilson. "There was that crazy half an hour yesterday where Shantry batted very well. I don't think anyone saw that coming really. It's very difficult to set fields when the ball is disappearing all over the place. But, when you're just two down for 131, you'd expect us to go and finish off the game. Zafar Ansari has been brilliant all year. He showed again why he's a topclass performer. Unfortunately for us no one could hang around with him. It's tough to take. Credit to Worcestershire for getting promoted. They put in a big performance there. But, if I'm perfectly honest, I think it was our game to lose."

15, 16 and 17 September 2014: Surrey v Derbyshire at the Kia Oval Surrey 181 (GC Wilson 70, MHA Footitt 6-69, WA White 3-39) & 279 (JJ Roy 81, A Harinath 42, MHA Footitt 3-62, DJ Wainwright 3-62). Derbyshire 210 (WL Madsen 63, SC Meaker 4-39, TE Linley 4-79) & 251-2 (BA Godleman 104*, CA Pujara 90*, BT Slater 45). Derbyshire won by 8 wickets. Team news: In A Harinath and TE Linley. Out MP Dunn (sickness bug) and A Kapil (sickness bug). Significant to the outcome was: Surrey losing wickets with monotonous regularity in both innings, a tide that was only stemmed when Jason Roy and Arun Harinath joined forces for 32 overs in the second innings, putting on 122 for the sixth wicket in the process. Reaction: "The last two games were disappointing," said Graham Ford. "I think we made some really good progress in the middle of the summer and I was hoping we could end well. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but I've seen enough good things through the summer to be quietly confident about next year. There is a substantial difference between Division One and Division Two. We had a number of situations where we had the opposition up against the ropes and we never really put them away. That's something we've got to get right. We need to be ruthless not just to get into Division One, but when we get promotion we're not just going up to survive but compete."

SURREY CCC SECOND ELEVEN CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES 2015

Cheam: 2830 April Surrey 3581d (DP Sibley 152*, A Harinath 146) & forfeited second innings. MCC Young Cricketers 121d & 135 (ECW Wharton 31, SC Meaker 426). Surrey won by 211 runs.

KEENOSE KOMMENTS

1. I first saw cricket on TV in 1964, so has been with me all my life. Funny 1963 seems ancient, so, like most others, I don't remember him as a player, but 1964 still seems fresh in the memory. Tony Cozier remains a link to the great cricket commentators of old, maybe the longest still serving commentator anywhere. I loved a story about John Arlott, who covered Arsenal home games but concentrated on the second half as the Fleet Street pubs didn't close until 3.00pm.

2. There has been much talk on the art of commentary. One of the reasons cricket is suffering is that all of the commentators coming through are explayers, some of whom did not show much enthusiasm for the media, or even the game, when they were still playing. Other sports, with the exception of golf, now have a professional lead commentator or presenter rather than an expro.

3. No university match should be considered firstclass now, and I don't think they should be included in any Fantasy League!

4. The World Cup matches were all action, but the competition itself was very slow moving. Teams should be playing again after a gap of three days. They were lucky not more games were rain affected, as teams could have over a week between matches.

5. In contrast to this, the crazy mess that continues to be our fixture list continues. Six 50over games in 10 days. Whoever was responsible for this and agreed to this, should never be allowed near cricket administration again. It's as if they don't agree with what David Morgan asked for in his report into the state of county cricket, so are being as awkward as possible. I believe the Surrey Secretary used to do all the fixtures. I think every reader of Oval World could do a better job in a week at the end of the season. Perhaps we should have a competition.

6. How on earth was James Treadwell picked for the Test squad for the West Indies? He couldn't even get into the Kent team last season. should have played in the first Test. Zafar Ansari and Adam Riley must be as surprised as the rest of us. Once again, the 50over team was selected all wrong both at the start and during. and Chris Jordan should have been playing from the start and Jason Roy should have been in the squad. What has ever done in oneday cricket?

7. What connects Graham Roope, Lonsdale Skinner and ?

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