Surrey Players Abroad Part 2

While most of the Surrey playing staff are having a rest and brushing up on their skills in the nets back home, some of them have travelled abroad, plying their trade for a variety of teams. Here is the second instalment of how they have been getting on.

Zander de Bruyn

After losing the final of the Champions League Twenty 20 to Sydney Sixers in early November, Zander de Bruyn and the Highveld Lions have played 9 matches, all in the 50 over format. With a top score of 36, and sometimes batting down at number 8, Zander has been used more as a bowler in his side’s opening matches this season, claiming 8 wickets at an average of 27.38.

Jade Dernbach

Jade has been named in both the ODI and Twenty 20 squads to play India in December and January.

Stuart Meaker

After being named in the England Performance Squad for the tour of India, Stuart Meaker received an unexpected, but fully deserved, call up to the full England Test Squad for the series against India. He was in the squad as back-up for the injured Steven Finn who missed the two opening matches of the series, but the fiery paceman from Durban failed to make a Test debut, despite a string of poor performances from Stuart Broad. However, a man of Meaker’s ability won’t have to wait long before he does become the first Pemberton Greenish Academy graduate to play for England’s test side. He will also be hoping to add to his ODI caps as he has been named in both the ODI and Twenty20 squads.

Kevin Pietersen

KP made his long awaited England comeback in the warm up games before the Test Series against India, scoring an unbeaten century against Haryana to get him in form. However, two poor shots in the first test led to some strong criticism from supporters over his inability to play left arm spin. But, in the second test he proved his doubters wrong with one of the greatest innings by an Englishman in India, scoring a blistering 186, putting former Surrey left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha for several maximums in his 233-ball stay. Reintegration well and truly complete. Like Jade and Meaks, KP has been named in the ODI squad, but he has been rested for the 2 Twenty20 internationals.

Graeme Smith

Our new skipper has had a productive series against Australia, scoring one century and one half century. After failing in both innings in the first match of the series, which ended in a draw, Smith scored a sublime century in the second match, but it still required a strong rearguard from the South Africans to prevent them from defeat. In the final game of the 3 match series, South Africa comfortably beat Australia by over 300 runs to maintain their number 1 status in Test cricket, with Smith scoring a quickfire 84 in the second innings.