Squad named for difficult night

Chris Adams has named a 13 man squad for the FLT20 game against Essex at Chelmsford tonight, for what will be the toughest game our players would have played in. 

Just 5 days after the tragic death of Tom Maynard, we have to somehow get back out on the pitch and get into the routine of playing cricket again. It will be difficult for all concerned tonight, as not only have they lost a teammate, they have lost a close friend. Every player talks about how close-knit our dressing room is, and losing someone like this so tragically, must be simply awful.

Rory Hamilton-Brown was one of Maynard’s closest friends, as they both went to Millfield School, so it is completely understandable that he has been excused from playing tonight. It will be the first game since re-joining us in 2010 that he has missed, and Gareth Batty will take-over the reigns for one night only.

Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker are both with the England squad, and Gary Wilson is with Ireland, so there are a few enforced changes in the squad from the Kent game. Jon Lewis has come in to bolster the bowling, but it will be surprising if he plays, as Tremlett has been itching to play for weeks, and Nannes will most likely be picked ahead of the fellow 36 year old.

There is a chance for a couple of youngsters to impress, as Rory Burns and Tom Lancefield have both been named in the squad. Burns in particular has had a fantastic year in the second X1, so it will be a great opportunity for the pair of them. Lancefield missed all of last season due to a knee injury, so will be looking to rediscover some of the form he showed in the T20 a couple of years ago. If it was up to me, I would open with either Burns or Lancefield with Steve Davies, and leave Roy for further in the innings. However, I think that Adams will stick with the more experienced Roy at the top, and leave the others for later.

Zander de Bruyn will presumably come back into the starting X1 after being dropped for the Kent game, and Spriegel and Ansari make up the all-round spin options at around 5 and 6 in the order. Chris Jordan has once again been named in the squad, but I feel that he will be the other player to join Jon Lewis on the sidelines for this one, as his bowling can be erratic at times.

Essex have been in similar form to us in the competition so far, winning 2 and losing one, but that loss was against us in the opening game of the competition, so our players will take confidence from that into this one. However, in the 9 years of T20, we have never won a game at Chelmsford, and with the firepower of Franklin and Napier in their line up, it will be a tough task.

But the result isn’t the most important thing tonight, as the last week has shown us, there are far more important things in life than cricket. The guys are being unbelievably brave tonight, playing so soon after Tom’s passing, and the only thing I can say to them is good luck guys, go out there and give it your best, it will be tough but produce a performance which would have made Tom proud. RIP Tom.

Surrey Squad-

G. Batty (C)

S. Davies (WK)

J. Roy

R. Burns

Z. de Bruyn

M. Spriegel

Z. Ansari

T. Lancefield

C. Jordan

M. Kartik

J. Lewis

C. Tremlett

D. Nannes

Essex Squad-

J. Foster (C, WK)

J. Franklin

M. Pettini

T. Westley

G. Smith

R. ten Doeschate

G. Napier

T. Phillips

A. Wheater

M. Comber

D. Masters

T. Mills

M. Chambers

R. Topley