Sunday 30 October 2011

Hong Kong Sixes- The Stats



Earlier on today, Pakistan beat England in the Final of the Hong Kong Sixes, the 5th time they have won the trophy.  Here are some of the stats from the tournament.

Most Runs- 
Overall
1. Umar Akmal (PAK)- 254
2. Darren Stevens (ENG)- 228
3. Lou Vincent (WOO)- 212
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (WOO)- 185
5. Callum MacLeod (SCT)- 184

England
1. Darren Stevens- 228
2. Rory Hamilton- Brown- 103
3. Chris Read- 86
4. Rikki Clarke- 81
5. Peter Trego- 77

Most Wickets-
Overall
1. Rory Hamilton- Brown (ENG)- 6
2. Abdul Razzaq (PAK)- 6
3. Umar Akmal (PAK)- 6
4. Tanwir Afzal (HK)- 4
5. Najeeb Amar (HK)- 4

England
1. Rory Hamilton- Brown- 6
2. Darren Stevens- 3
3. Josh Cobb- 3
4. Tom Smith-3
5. Peter Trego- 1

Most Catches-
Overall
1. Nizakat Khan (HK)- 4
2. Rory Hamilton- Brown (ENG)- 4
3. Thisara Perera (SRI)- 4
4. Raju Bhatkal (IND)- 4
5. Tom Smith (ENG)- 3

England
1. Rory Hamilton- Brown- 4
2. Tom Smith- 3
3. Peter Trego- 2
4. Rikki Clarke- 2
5. Josh Cobb- 1

Champion Player
1. Umar Akmal (PAK)
2. Lou Vincent (WOO)
3. Darren Stevens (ENG)
4. Calum MacLeod (SCT)
5. Sanath Jayasuriya (WOO)

England blasted away by Pakistan


Pakistan have beaten England in the final of the Hong Kong Sixes by 35 runs.

Rory Hamilton- Brown won the toss and once again elected to field first. The Pakistan team had a host of international stars including Abdul Razzaq, Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanvir. Akmal opened the batting with Sharjeel Khan but Darren Stevens got England off to a good start when when he had Khan caught behind for 6. However, Razzaq joined Akmal and blasted the ball around the ground from ball one, taking 31 off of Stevens' over. Akmal got in on the act in the next over, until Tom Smith had him caught by Rikki Clarke for 16. Pakistan  53-2 after 2 overs.

Razzaq continued to hit the ball to all parts and was joined by Sohail Tanvir who was equally aggressive. Razzaq retired, but Tanvir was still there, and he hit a fantastic array of shots off of the skipper's over. Hammad Azam was caught behind for 4 and Yasir Shah was run out without facing a ball, which brought Razzaq back to the crease. He and Tanvir continued on their way, smashing seemingly every ball to the boundary, taking 40 off of Rikki Clarke's over. They both passed fifty and were on their way to posting a formidable total for their team. Tanvir was run out in the last over, leaving Razzaq in the middle on his own, who hit Peter Trego for 23 and finished on 63 off of just 17 balls. Pakistan had scored 154-5, the highest total of this year's tournament.

Once again Darren Stevens opened up with Chris Read and the pair got England off to a solid start, taking 20 off the opening over from Razzaq. Umar Akmal, not known for his bowling, then bowled a vital over, taking 3 England wickets despite going for 26. He first had Read caught and bowled for 11, and followed that up by having Stevens caught and bowled for 19. Off his last ball, he had Rikki Clarke caught by Azam for 16, leaving England a near impossible target of 109 more of 18 balls, with just 3 wickets left.

Shah then made it worse for England when he bowled Rory Hamilton- Brown for 12, and conceded 26 in his over, a good over in the circumstances. Tom Smith and Peter Trego tried as hard as they could, hitting some excellent shots all around the small Hong Kong ground, and took 29 off of Tanvir's over. However, that wasn't enough and they both fell in the last over. Tom Smith was bowled by Azam for 29, which was followed by Trego caught by Tanvir for 32. England 119 all out, a valiant effort from the team, but just not good enough against an explosive Pakistan line up.

Chris Adams will be happy with the way his team played in the tournament, but will be disappointed to have come so far and not come away with the winners trophy.

England into to Hong Kong Sixes Final



England have reached the final of the Hong Kong Sixes after beating Sri Lanka in the Semi Final by 7 runs.

The Sri Lankan captain Chamara Kapugedera won the toss and elected to field first. Darren Stevens and Chris Read once again opened the batting and once again got their side of to a great start, taking 20 off of the first over which was bowled by Shanaka. Thisara Perera, who played against England this summer, bowled the second over, but was carted around the ground as 23 came off of his over, leaving England on 43-0 after 2. Darren Stevens reached 32, so then had to retire which brought the England skipper to the crease.

RHB and Read continued to hit the boundary taking 16 off of Munaweera's over, but with the score on 60, Read was bowled by Peris for 20. Rikki Clarke joined his captain, but not for long, as in the same over, Hamilton- Brown was caught by Perera for 7. A great over from Peris, taking 2 wickets and conceding just 12. England were on 72 with one over remaining but Rikki Clarke showed what he has shown many times before, taking 29 off of the over, and retiring on 34 off of just 8 balls. England had reached 101-3 and had posted a good score.

Darren Stevens opened the bowling once again and got England off to a fantastic start. He first had Kusal Perera caught by Peter Trego for 0, and followed that up by having Kapugedera caught by Hamilton- Brown for 6. 2 wickets and just 8 runs off of the opening over. Thisara Perera came to the crease and showed what we know he could do, by taking 27 off of Tom Smith's over to get his side back into the game. However, RHB pegged them back again when he had Munaweera caught and bowled for just 2. Perera then had to retire on 31, with Sri Lanka 56-2 off of 3 overs.

Shanaka and Peiris came together in the middle and looked comfortable straight away hitting the ball left, right and centre. They took 22 off of the penultimate over bowled by Rikki Clarke, leaving them 23 to win off of the last over, bowled by Peter Trego. However, Trego kept it tight and only conceded 16 runs, to take England to victory and into the final.

England will play Pakistan in the final after they beat hosts Hong Kong in the other semi by 32 runs. Come back later for a report on that game.

RHB leads England to Semi Final



England will play Sri Lanka in the semi final of the Hong Kong Sixes after beating India in the quarter final by 2 wickets.

Rory Hamilton- Brown won the toss and elected to field first. India's opening batsman were Mayank Argarwal and Dinesh Karthik and they started the innings brilliantly. They took 20 off the opening over bowled by Darren Stevens, and followed that up by taking 23 off the second, bowled by Tom Smith. The skipper came into the attack but made no difference as 22 was blasted off of his over, leaving India on 65-0 after 3 overs.

Both openers retired as they has passed 30, but Rikki Clarke pulled it back for England, going for just 10 off of his over. The last over was bowled by Josh Cobb and he claimed the only wicket off the innings when he had Manvider Bisla caught by the skipper. Raju Bhaktal took 10 off the last 2 balls to lead his side to a competitive 99-1.

As in the last group game, Darren Stevens and Chris Read opened the batting for England, knowing they had to chase down a score higher than they had in the group stage. The Kent all rounder got his side off to a brilliant start when he took 25 off of Srivastava's opening over. However, Agarwal got him at the start of the second over when he was caught by Bhaktal for 19. Hamilton- Brown started his innings off well, but with the score on 32, and after facing just 2 balls, Read was out in identical fashion to Stevens without scoring.

New batsman Josh Cobb didn't last long either when he was run out for 1 in the third over. Dinesh Karthik bowled a tight over which went for just 16 to put his side on top. However, Rikki Clarke joined Hamilton- Brown and together they helped England take 27 off of Bisla's over, leaving England needing just 15 off the last. RHB retired on 34 off 9 balls, but Tom Smith immediately found his range, hitting a succession of sixes to lead England past India's total with 2 balls remaining.

England will now play Sri Lanka in the Semi Final, so come back later for a match report of that game.

Other Quarter Final Results-
Sri Lanka (121-2) beat Woodworm All Stars (118-1) by 4 wickets
Hong Kong (101-3) beat Scotland (100-0) by 3 wickets
Pakistan (87-4) beat Ireland (86-2) by 2 wickets

Saturday 29 October 2011

England to play India in Hong Kong Quarter's



England will play India in the quarter final of the Hong Kong Sixes tournament after beating Australia this morning.

England finished top of Group B, winning 2 out of three games, and India finished third in Group C, also winning 2 of their 3 games. India won their first two games of the tournament, yesterday against Hong Kong and today against South Africa. However, they lost their final game to Pakistan by 22 runs, a big margin in this form of cricket. The Indian squad doesn't consist of many recognisable names, but one that does stand out is the skipper, and International batsman, Dinesh Karthik.

Whoever wins this game will go on to play the winner of one of the other quarter finals. The full Quarter final draw is as follows-
02:45am UK time- Woodworm All Stars Vs Sri Lanka
03:30am UK time- England Vs India
04:15am UK time- Hong Kong Vs Scotland
05:00am UK time- Ireland Vs Pakistan

England beat Australia to top Group B



England have qualified for the quarter finals of the Hong Kong Sixes after defeating Australia by 3 wickets.

Aussie skipper Rhett Lockyear won the toss and he elceted to bat first. He and Craig Phillipson opened the batting and got their side off to a great start, taking 25 off of Darren Stevens' opening over. However, Tom Smith made the breakthrough with his first ball when he had Lockyear caught behind for 13. Rory Hamilton- Brown followed that up in the next over when he had fellow opener Phillipson caught by Smith for 23. Australia 45-2 in the third over.

Jason Floros and Scott Coyte got together in the middle and began to find the boundary at regular intervals, especially off Rikki Clarke's over, which went for 21. Josh Cobb, who replaced Peter Trego in the side, bowled the last over, which turned out to be a good one. He first had Floros caught by Clarke for a well made 25, and very next ball, he played a part in running out Jeremy Smith for a golden duck. Australia finished on 85-4 off their 5 overs.

With a change to the batting line up, Darren Stevens and Chris Read opened up for England. However, they got off to the worst possible start when the dangerous Stevens was caught and bowled by Coyte first ball of the innings. And, after hitting a 4 off his first ball, Josh Cobb was bowled for 4 in the same over and England were struggling at 4-2.

Rory Hamilton- Brown and Read came together at the crease and looked at ease at the crease. The Nottinghamshire wicket keeper played an exquisite innings, where he struck 4 sixes and 2 fours, when he had to retire on 32 off of just 8 deliveries. The skipper was joined by Rikki Clarke and continued to play well, until, with the score on 67, he was bowled for 17 by Jeremy Smith. However, with 5 extras coming off Smith's over, Clarke and new batsman Smith, needed just 6 to win off the final over, and they did it with ease, with 4 balls remaining in the innings.

After this result, England have finished top of Group B, and now play in the quarter finals tomorrow, looking to win their first Hong Kong Sixes since 2008.

Other results today:
Group A- Scotland (80-1) beat Woodworm All Stars (77-1) by 5 wickets
                Sri Lanka (119-0) beat New Zealand (75-4) by 44 runs
                Woodworm All Stars (102-1) beat Sri Lanka (92-2) by 10 runs

Group B- Bangladesh (101-0) beat Australia (97-1) by 6 wickets
               Ireland (88-3) beat England (82-0) by 6 runs

Group C- Hong Kong (92-3) beat Pakistan (87-6) by 3 wickets
                India (100-2) beat South Africa (95-3) by 5 runs
                Hong Kong (87-1) beat South Africa (85-3) by 5 wickets
                Pakistan (109-5) beat India (87-1) by 22 runs

Ireland defeat RHB's England



Ireland have beaten England by 6 runs in their second group game of the Hong Kong Sixes.

Rory Hamilton- Brown once again won the toss, and like yesterday, put the opposition in. His decision was justified when, after Darren Stevens' tight first over, Tom Smith had the dangerous Kevin O'Brien caught and bowled. Niall O'Brien joined Paul Stirling and started to find the boundary, until Stirling was caught behind for just 2 off the bowling of Hamilton- Brown.

However, the pair of O'Brien and John Mooney struck 25 off of the skipper's over, and followed that up by taking 24 off of Peter Trego's over. Niall O'Brien had to retire as he had past 35, but Mooney continued to find the boundary, with 15 coming off the final over which was bowled by Rikki Clarke. Ireland had reached 88-3 off of their 5 overs, and England would of been confident of chasing down a score similar to yesterday.

Peter Trego and Hamilton- Brown opened the batting once again, but George Dockrell got Ireland off to a good start, conceding just 6 off the first over. However, the English openers struck 17 off of the second over, which was bowled by Kevin O'Brien. With the score on 23-0 after two overs, England needed to up their rate to get to Ireland's score.

Upping the rate didn't happen, as Stirling and Cusack bowled 2 tight overs, which only went for 18. England required 37 off of the last over, so needing a no ball or a wide to help them to the total. Trego had to retire on 33 off a relatively slow 18 balls, which brought Darren Stevens to the crease.Off his 3 balls, he struck 3 sixes, but it was too much for the batsman, who fell 7 runs short of the target. RHB finished 22* off of just 9 balls, much quicker than Peter Trego.

So, England now have to win their last game to have a chance of qualifying to the finals stage, and they play arch rivals Australia. A change in the team maybe the answer, with Josh Cobb waiting in the wings, who could come in for the slow Peter Trego. Come back in an hour, where there will be a report of the important game.

Friday 28 October 2011

RHB leads England to Sixes win



England have won their opening match of the Hong Kong Sixes tournament by 4 wickets against Bangladesh.

England, captained by Rory Hamilton- Brown and managed by Chris Adams, won the toss and elected to field first in their first 5 over game of the tournament. Nazmul Hossain got Bangladesh off to a good start, but in the third over, Hamilton- Brown had fellow opener Rony Taladakar cuaght by Tom Smith for just 4. The skipper then had his second wicket when he bowled Enamul Haque first ball and Bangladesh were 30-2 after 3 overs.

However, Nazmul Hossain and new batsman Shabbir Rahman, upped the run rate, taking 22 off of Peter Trego's over. Hossain retired as he had past 30, but Mosharraf Hossain joined Rahman and took 30 off of former Surrey man Rikki Clarke's over, to take their side to 81-2 off their 5 overs.

Hamilton- Brown opened up with Peter Trego and set their sights on a gettable total. However, Trego went early with the score on 18, when he was bowled by Rapash Baisya. Darren Stevens came to the crease and took over the scoring but Hamilton-Brown went for 11 when he was bowled by Hossain with the score on 52.

Stevens continued to score quickly until he retired after hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours in his 10 ball 35. Rikki Clarke and Chris Read got together with England needing 18 to win off the final over. Enamul Haque was the bowler but Read had far too much experience, leading England to victory, with an unbeaten 23 off 6 balls, with just 1 ball remaining.

England sit joint top of Group B and play their final two games of the group tomorrow against Ireland and Australia, with the first starting at 5.30 UK time, and the latter at 8.30.

Other results today-
Group A- Sri Lanka (83-5) beat Scotland (53-3) by 30 runs
                Scotland (94-0) beat New Zealand (88-0) by 6 wickets

Group B- Ireland (66-1) beat Bangladesh (65-4) by 5 wickets
               Australia (105-2) beat Ireland (78-1) by 27 runs

Group C- India (119-1) beat Hong Kong (117-1) by 5 wickets
                Pakistan (110-3) beat South Africa (87-2) by 23 runs

Thursday 27 October 2011

Lancefield and Jewell sign contract extensions



Pemberton Greenish Academy graduates Tom Lancefield and Tom Jewell have both signed one year contract extensions, to keep them at the Kia Oval until the end of the 2012 season.

The pair, who hardly featured in the first team this season, have huge potentials in the game and will be looking at breaking into the side next season. Opening batsman Lancefield, 21, had a good season in 2010, making his first class debut and playing in several Twenty 20 games. However a knee injury kept him out of the side for the whole of 2011, and after he has been successfully been operated on, hopes to be fully fit by Christmas this year after following a rehabilitation programme. This is good news for the club as, certainly in the championship, a good consistent opener is needed and after the start he made in 2010, Lancefield could be the one.

Jewell, 20, is a fast bowler, who is also a handy batsman, played two first team games this season, including a championship game at Derby. 2012 will certainly be an important season for Jewell as, over the past two seasons, he hasn't been able break into the team on a regular basis, despite playing consistently well in the second X1.

I look forward to seeing the pair pushing towards the first team next season and hopefully for many years to come.

Friday 21 October 2011

2011- All Rounders Review




Zafar Ansari
LVCC- 6 wickets @ 26.33, 43 runs @ 7.17
CB40- 4 wickets @ 42.25, 47 runs @ 23.50
T20- 4 wickets @ 55.25, 108 runs @ 36.00
The figures don’t tell the story for Zafar Ansari. The 19 year old all rounder sprung onto the scene in a T20 match against Essex at The Kia Oval and never looked back. In that match, he struck an unbeaten 30 and bowled 4 tidy overs, which was good enough for the Sky commentators to give him the Man of the Match Award. After that, he became a regular in the Surrey side, especially in one day cricket, where he played most of Surrey’s CB40 campaign, including getting the wicket of Nick Compton in the final. He definitely has a bright future, with a remarkable temperament for someone of his age, with the wicket of Rob Key in the championship game against Kent, a moment Surrey fans will remember for a long time.

Yasir Arafat
LVCC- 20 wickets @ 47.40, 255 runs @ 28.33
CB40- 19 wickets @ 24.21, 85 runs @ 21.25
T20- 10 wickets @ 28.40, 71 runs @ 23.67
Overall, I think Surrey fans and Yasir Arafat himself will be slightly disappointed at his performance in 2011, especially in the Championship. He struggled to get a wicket at the beginning of the season, losing his place in the team, and when Pragyan Ojha arrived he didn’t get a look in. However, he did put together some good performances with bat and ball, not often together mind, in the CB40, where his experience was vital in a young inexperienced team. He was one of the leading wicket taker’s in the competition and, even though he didn’t bowl brilliantly, was part of the winning team at Lord’s in the final. Chris Adams will most likely not sign him again for next season, as I feel a world class spinner is his overseas priority.



Gareth Batty
LVCC- 36 wickets @ 33.33, 532 runs @ 26.60
CB40- 13 wickets @ 23.15, 29 runs @ 7.25
T20- 8 wickets @ 33.13, 24 runs @ 8.00
Gareth Batty’s passion, experience and ability was a vital asset for Surrey in 2011. He is a player who puts 100% effort into his game, and, after his slightly disappointing season in 2010, the hard work in the winter paid off. He didn’t take buckets of wickets, but often came up with the vital wicket just at the right time and was perfect foil for Pragyan Ojha towards the end of the season. His batting should also not be underestimated, with him scoring 4 fifties in the championship, putting together some important partnerships with the lower order. He also played an important role in the CB40, picking up figures of 2-35 in the final, to help Surrey to the silverware.

Zander de Bruyn
LVCC- 1383 runs @ 55.32, 15 wickets @ 39.27
CB40- 328 runs @ 32.80, 7 wickets @ 26.71
T20- 275 runs @ 34.38, 6 wickets @ 24.67
After moving from Somerset in late 2010, Zander de Bruyn has had a fantastic first season at Surrey. He scored 4 hundreds in the championship, finishing the division’s highest scorer, and also picked up vital wickets, for his team, sometimes opening the bowling. He also had a good, but not spectacular, one day season, with the innings at Guildford against Warwickshire sticking in my mind, hitting an unbeaten 84 to keep the 100% run going. At the age of 36, he has undoubted experience, and this helped Surrey win the CB40, as he was at the crease when Spriegel carved the ball down to third man. He has been rewarded with a two year contract extension, and he has now gained a British passport.



Steven Davies
LVCC- 1035 runs @ 39.81
CB40- 395 runs @ 30.38
T20- 365 runs @ 33.18
At times in 2011, Steven Davies looked on of the greatest batsman in the world. His timing of the ball is exquisite and ability to score at a rapid pace is second to none. However, what lets him down is his consistency and failure to score big. There have been many memorable innings this season from him, including an unbeaten 99 in the T20 at Whitgift and two hundreds in the championship. If he can, which I am sure he will, have more regular innings like this, he will without doubt be England’s wicket keeper for years to come.

Rory Hamilton- Brown
LVCC- 1039 runs @ 37.11, 1 wicket @ 107.00
CB40- 372 runs @ 28.62, 3 wickets @ 58.00
T20- 232 runs @ 17.85, 2 wickets @ 32.50
2011 was a great season for the skipper. Passing 1000 runs in the championship for the first time in his career and captaining his side to promotion and their first silverware since 2003. Similar to Davies, if Hamilton- Brown can score bigger more regularly, then England will be sniffing around him. His 1039 runs in the championship included just the 1 century, less than the three other batsman to past the milestone, which backs up the argument that he gets lost of 30’s and 40’s, but fails to kick on. He proved a reliable source in the powerplay’s in the CB40, bowling several tight spells, but his highlight of the season has to be his 78 in the CB40 final, which almost single handily took them to Somerset’s score.



Chris Jordan
LVCC- 11 wickets @ 48.00, 228 runs @ 28.50
CB40- 1 wicket @ 92.00, 0 runs @ 0.00
After suffering an awful last two seasons due to injury, 2011 was all about settling back into cricket for Jordan. At first, he struggled to pick up wickets, due to lack of confidence and sometimes lack of luck. However, he did find his feet and in the championship game at Chelmsford, Chris Jordan had his finest Surrey game. He twice past his highest first class score in that match scoring 71 and 79*, and on the final day, took 4-57, to help his side to a vital victory. If he remains to stay injury free, he surely has a big future ahead of him, but he has to take it easy, as another more long term injury could ruin his career.

Chris Schofield
LVCC- 5 wickets @ 46.00, 179 runs @ 59.67
CB40- 17 wickets @ 23.12, 246 runs @ 35.14
T20- 3 wickets @ 61.00, 37 runs @ 18.50
Chris Schofield was an ever present for Surrey in their CB40 success. He was a vital asset with both bat and ball, claiming two 4-fers, and hitting a fantastic 72 chasing 296 against Northampton, the highest successful chase in 40 over cricket. However, he struggled to gain a regular place in the championship side, despite hitting a 99, for the second time in his career! This lack of first class cricket seemingly was the main factor for his release at the end of the season, and I hope he can find another club in the near future.





Matthew Spriegel
CB40- 424 runs @ 53.00, 11 wickets @ 27.18
T20- 16 runs @ 5.33, 0 wickets @ N/A
Matthew Spriegel will go down in Surrey folk law after hitting the winning runs in the CB40 final against Somerset. He showed great maturity throughout the competition and it was fitting that he was the player that finished the job off. He scored 3 fifties, top scoring with a fantastic 86 against Durham, showing a never give up attitude as it was in a losing cause, and had Surrey’s highest average in the competition with 53.00. He also claimed vital wickets, with possibly the most important one of the tournament, when he had Marcus Trescothick stumped in the final. He has recently signed a new 1 year contract at the club, but has openly admitted to being disappointed at not playing a single championship game, so 2012 must be the breakthrough year for Matthew Spriegel.

Gary Wilson
LVCC- 110 runs @ 22.00
CB40- 0 runs @ 0.00
T20- 11 runs @ 5.50
2011 was a disappointing year for the Irish wicket keeper, Gary Wilson. He started the season off opening in the championship, but failed to cement his place and after falling out of the team, he never returned. He played the odd one day game, but was named in the squads mainly due to his fantastic fielding ability as 12th man. Wilson will be hoping that Steven Davies gets called up by England so he gets more of a regular role, but will still have to be careful as young keeper Rory Burns is waiting in the wings.

2011- Bowler Review



Jade Dernbach
LVCC- 22 wickets @ 39.64
CB40- 23 wickets @ 14.09
T20- 13 wickets @ 11.77
After leading the Surrey attack for the past two seasons, 2011 was a breakthrough year for Jade Dernbach. He began it by being called up to England’s world cup squad and finished it by becoming a regular in the ODI team. His slower ball is indeed a fantastic weapon and he has started to use it less frequently, making him less predictable. For Surrey, Jade had another outstanding season, especially in one day cricket, ending the CB40 with 23 wickets, more than anyone in the competition, even though he only played 8 games. His 4 wickets in the final against Somerset earned him the Man of the Match award, and at the age of 25, Surrey and England have a fine bowler in their hands for years to come.



Matthew Dunn

LVCC- 6 wickets @ 16.83
Matthew Dunn is surely a future England star. Even though he only played the twice this season, he has shown how good he could be, claiming figures of 5-56 against Derbyshire, helping his side bowl the opposition out for just 99. However, with the continued success of Tim Linley and the return of Chris Jordan, combined with an injury to himself, Dunn played just once more in the season, but Chris Adams knows what a talent he is, and 2012 could be his breakthrough season.






Tom Jewell
LVCC- 1 wicket @ 69.00
Tom Jewell played just the one first team game in 2011, despite his continued success in the second X1. He has been in around squads for the past two season but has never been able to hold down a place so 2012 could be a very important season for a bowler who has undoubted talent.




Tim Linley
LVCC- 73 wickets @ 18.34
CB40- 7 wickets @ 21.43
T20- 3 wickets @ 14.66
What can I say about Tim Linley? What a fantastic season for the Yorkshire born fast bowler. At the end of 2010, there were doubts about whether he was good enough to take wickets at regular intervals, and put batsmen under pressure, but over the winter he worked harder than any other player to get his game to as good as it could be. He took the first wicket of the season, and never looked back, ending it the 3rd leading wicket taker in the Division. Next year will prove whether Linley really has what it takes to be a top bowler, when he comes face to face with Division 1 batsman, but this time with a Dukes ball in his hand.




Stuart Meaker

LVCC- 44 wickets @ 22.57
CB40- 4 wickets @ 27.75
T20- 6 wickets @ 42.33
The South African born pace bowler has without doubt had his best season for Surrey. We all knew about his pace, but he has added a variety of skills to his game, including swing and slower balls, which has had many batsman this season bamboozled. His ability to bowl Yorkers is getting better and better and, if he hadn’t sustained a hamstring injury, could have ended up being the leading wicket taker in Division 2. He can change a game in a flash and this, along with his ability to bowl at the death, has gained him a call up to England’s one day squad.





Dirk Nannes
T20- 19 wickets @ 20.05
Even though Surrey didn’t qualify for the quarter finals of the FLt20, Dirk Nannes played a vital role in giving them a chance to do so. In a blink of an eye the opposition could be 2 down, with not many on the board, and this would allow Surrey’s other bowlers to wield the axe. His undoubted experience, as well as being the leading wicket taker in T20 history, helped a team full of young and inexperienced heads, and his career best 5-40 at Lord’s, led his team to victory over their London rivals. If you asked me whether I would have him again next season? I would say yes.




Pragyan Ojha
LVCC- 24 wickets @ 12.96
CB40- 0 wickets @ N/A
Even though Pragyan Ojha was only at Surrey for four matches, what an impact he made. It would be unfair to say he single handily led Surrey to promotion, as there were many good performances from other players, but put it this way, we wouldn’t have won our last 4 matches if he wasn’t playing. His ability to turn a ball left, right and centre at any time of a match was magical and his wonderful figures of 6-8 took Surrey to victory against then league leaders, Northamptonshire. It might not be possible for Chris Adams to sign him for all of next season due to IPL and possible India call up, but if he gets the chance, even if it is just a few games, he must grab it with both hands.


Chris Tremlett
LVCC- 6 wickets @ 51.00
T20- 6 wickets @ 15.67
Chris Tremlett didn’t play much for Surrey in 2011, mostly due to him being in the England test match side, where he was awarded the Man of the Series award against Sri Lanka in June. However, after the first test match against India, Tremlett didn’t feature for club or country again, after picking up a back injury in the win at Lord’s. When he did play for Surrey this season, he came to the party, especially in the T20, where he claimed figures of 4-16 to help Surrey beat the reigning champions Hampshire at the Kia Oval. He will find it difficult to fit straight back into the test match team when fit, due to the rise of Tim Bresnan, but that will only benefit Surrey, and worry the batsman in Division 


Friday 14 October 2011

Schoey released, CJ and Spriegs sign on


Legspinner Chris Schofield has today been released by Surrey County Cricket Club after 6 seasons at the club.

Falling out of first class cricket, after leaving Lancashire, Schofield played minor counties cricket for Suffolk and was picked up by coach Alan Butcher in 2006. He was a valuable member of the Surrey squad throughout that time, especially in the shorter forms of the game, when his twenty 20 form earned him a call up to the inaugural ICC Twenty 20 world cup in 2007.

He was so influential in Surrey’s CB40 win this year, playing in every game, and taking 17 wickets and hitting 246 runs, but the lack of Championship games must of been the factor of him leaving, because he was always reliable in one day cricket.

I would like to wish Chris Schofield all the best for the future, and hope he gets a new club, as he definitely has the talent for it.

Some better news today is that Matthew Spriegel and Chris Jordan have both signed 1 year contract extensions, keeping them at The Kia Oval until the end of next season. Both of them have a massive future in the game, with Jordan coming to the party in the championship at the end of last season, and Spriegel topping the batting averages in the CB40, as well as hitting the winning runs in the final.

The pair will be looking to feature more in games next season, with Spriegel not playing a single championship game in 2011, and Jordan just getting back from his back problem.

Monday 10 October 2011

2011- Batsman Review





Michael Brown
LVCC- 78 runs @ 15.60
After his torrid season in 2010, where he didn't play a single game, Michael Brown opened the batting in the first game of 2011 against Northamptonshire at the Kia Oval. However, he struggled to get back into the swing of it, and after 3 games, Brown once again picked up an injury, and in June, he sadly retired at the age of 31.

Arun Harinath
LVCC- 7 runs @ 3.50
After having a very good season for the second X1, scoring plenty of high scores, Arun Harinath was picked for the LVCC match at Guildford against Middlesex. Against test bowlers Steven Finn and Corey Collymore, Harinath couldn't cope and after scoring 3 and 4, he wasn't picked again. He continues to show promise in the second X1, but you would feel that if he doesn't make it next year, he might not make it at all.





Tom Maynard
LVCC- 1022 runs @ 40.88
CB40- 481 runs @ 40.08
FLt20- 392 runs @ 43.56
Tom Maynard has had a fantastic first season for Surrey after joining in late 2010 from Glamorgan. Hitting his 1st first class hundred back at the Swalec Stadium, and playing an important role in all forms of the game, he is without doubt one of the players of the season, not missing a single game. A highlight would be his hundred at Guildford against Middlesex, but his best innings was against Derbyshire in the last LVCC game of the season. Surrey needing to get maximum batting points to help the promotion push, Maynard took them there with a fantastic 123, showing patience and skill, which has gained him a place in the England Performance Squad.






Kevin Pietersen
LVCC- 58 runs @ 58.00
FLt20- 30 runs @ 30.00
KP didn't play much this season and after moving house, he might not sign a new contract, However, when he did play, he showed his class, with a score of 58 in his only championship innings, against Essex at Whitgift.








Mark Ramprakash
LVCC-700 runs @ 33.33
After having his awful cruciate knee ligament injury in Novermber 2010, Ramprakash probably had his least productive season for Surrey in 2011, scoring just the one century, far off the 10 in 2006. However, he still showed glimpses of class, scoring his century at Gloucester in the same game he was given out obstructing. He has a contract until the end of next season, and however much it pains me to say it, it could be his last.




Jason Roy
LVCC- 623 runs @ 29.67
CB40- 585 runs @ 45.00
FLt20- 363 runs @ 27.92
2011 was the breakthrough season for the young man from Durban. Power and maturity grew as the season went on, and after scoring his first 1st class hundred, he became a far better player. Even though he didn't push on in the LVCC, he was the first name on the team sheet in both one day competitions, with the ability to change a game at the blink of an eye. He became the first man to score back-to-back one day hundreds since Ali Brown in 2002, and like Maynard, has been picked for the England Performance Squad.