Ponting signs for 2 months

Surrey have this morning announced the signing of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting on a two month contract.

It is a huge coup for the club, after already signing Graeme Smith towards the end of last year, with Ponting coming for the entirety of June and July. During June, Smith is likely to be away with South Africa for the ICC Champions Trophy, so Ponting will initially be cover for our new captain, playing in all 3 formats of the game. He will be able to play at this year’s Guildford Festival at the beginning of June, as well as the whole of the Friends Life Twenty 20 campaign, which ends on the 31^st of July at Chelmsford.

Smith is unlikely to be available for most of the Twenty 20 campaign, as South Africa tour Sri Lanka towards the end of July for a 5 match ODI series that he will probably be part of, so Ponting is a fine replacement on and off the pitch for when he’s not here.

Scoring 13,378 test runs at an average of 51.85 just shows what a great batsman we have acquired, and despite him retiring from International cricket towards the end of 2012, Ponting has been in prime form for his state side Tasmania. He has scored 595 runs at an average of 119.00 in 6 matches, top scoring with an unbeaten 200, so there is no doubt that he can still play.

His knowledge and experience is second to none in the world of cricket, and is arguably one of the greatest test captains of all time. Hopefully some of this knowledge and experience can be transferred onto our younger players, such as Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns, benefiting them and the club in the process.

It is the 4^th signing we have made in the close season, and all 4 are over the age of 30, with 3 of them in Solanki, Keedy and Ponting all in their late 30’s. Critics would say that we aren’t exactly building for the future, with the average age of the squad going up considerably in recent months. However, Ponting is only coming for a couple of months, and I can only see the positives in the move, as he will come into a side that was in need of a desperate shake-up after the difficult season we had last year.

It is unclear whether Ponting will captain the side when Smith is unavailable, but it seems unlikely that he would, due to the short time that he is here, but whoever steps in for Smith will get help on that front from the Tasmanian you would have thought.

Finally, I would just like to congratulate the management on this signing, which will hopefully contribute to bringing back the good days over the next few years. I’m not expecting us to be challenging on all 3 fronts this coming season, but hopefully we can improve on last season, and with Ponting, try and reach the quarter finals of the Twenty 20 for the first time since 2006.

Surrey Players Abroad: Part 4

While some of the Surrey first team squad are in the UK preparing for next season, a number of them have travelled abroad, plying their trade for a variety of teams in all formats of the game. Here is the 4^th instalment of how they have been getting on over the last 30 days.

Zander de Bruyn

Zander de Bruyn has finally found some form with the bat for the Highveld Lions in recent weeks, hitting 68 and 49 against Dolphins in the Sunfoil Series at the beginning of last month.  He then scored just 1 in the following match against Cape Cobras, but did take 8 wickets, including 5-39 in the first innings, with his right arm swing being used far more than with us last season. He backed that game up with another half century against Titans in mid-January, but in his next two games, he could only muster 35 in 3 innings, as he failed to find true consistency.

Jade Dernbach

No one will argue with me when I say that January wasn’t a very good month for Jade Dernbach. After impressing in the two warm up games against Delhi and India A, where he claimed 3 wickets at less than 5 an over, everything went downhill from there on in. With England winning the high-scoring first ODI, going at almost 7 an over and claiming 2 wickets perhaps wasn’t a bad return for Jade. However, when you are going at that economy rate all of the time, there must be a problem. He went for 73 in the 2^nd ODI, 45 off 5 overs in the 3^rd and 59 off 9 in the 4^th. However much I like Jade, and want him to do well for England, I think it was poor management from Ashley Giles to persist on picking him after the second ODI. A man who usually oozes confidence was really suffering in that department, not being able to bowl consistently throughout the tour. He has been left out of the ODI squad which will tour New Zealand this month, but has been named in the T20 squad for later this week.

Stuart Meaker

With Jade putting in a string of poor performances, you would have thought that Meaks would have had more of a go against India. However, he was left out of the side for all 5 ODI’s. He has been named in the Twenty20 squad to play New Zealand later this week, so hopefully he will get a game, before making the short trip to Australia with the England Lions. However, a neck injury may prevent him from doing so, with James Harris called up as cover.

Kevin Pietersen

Despite getting several good starts, KP didn’t really show his best form in the ODI series against India. A couple of 40’s and a 76 was the best it got from him, which to be fair was considerably better than most England batsman, but it never seemed as if he was in the best of nick. He has been rested from the Twenty20 squad to play New Zealand this week, before playing in the ODI series thereafter.

Jason Roy

Like last year, Jason Roy has travelled half way across the globe to play for the Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League. However, it hasn’t gone as well as he would have hoped. With scores of 5 in the first two games of the tournament, he was dropped from the side and as yet hasn’t been reinstated in the side. Even though he hasn’t batted for long, what I have seen of him in the tournament was similar to how he played in the T20 last year, lacking confidence and being tentative in his play. Something needs to change, as he has a big role to play next season.

Dominic Sibley

After being named in England’s Under 19 squad to tour South Africa, 17 year old Sibley has made a fantastic start in the first few games. Before the series against South Africa Under 19’s, Sibley played a 2 day tour match against a Western Cape Invitational X1, where, even though they lost by 7 wickets, Sibley impressed in the second innings by scoring 54 before retiring out. In the first Youth Test, England Under 19’s comfortably beat South Africa, with Sibley scoring an important half century in the second innings, after being dismissed for 0 in the first. However, it was the second Test where he really shone, carrying his bat with a superb 112* in the first innings, with the next best England score being just 29. But he could only muster 23 in the second innings, with South Africa levelling the series at 1-1 with a 67 run victory.

Graeme Smith

Our skipper has had an up and down month with South Africa. They completed the test series against New Zealand with an innings victory, in which Smith scored 54. They then surprisingly lost the ODI series with New Zealand 2-1, despite Smith scoring a half century and a match winning century in the final game of the three match series. After playing New Zealand, Pakistan were the next opponents in a test series, and the first match was Smith’s 100^th test as captain; the first to ever do such a thing. They won the match with ease, with Smith scoring a half century and leading his side to a 211 run victory.

3 months to go: How are we shaping up?

With just over 3 months to the opening game of the County Cricket season, I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to look at how Surrey are shaping up heading into the new campaign.

So far we have made 3 new acquisitions over the winter period, with two veterans of the county game in Gary Keedy and Vikram Solanki being drafted in, alongside our new captain Graeme Smith. There is still enough time for Chris Adams to add to his squad, and I personally feel that, even though it isn’t 100% necessary, one or two more players could be brought in to bolster our squad.

The main area I think we need to add to is the batting, after we lost 6 key batsmen due to a variety of circumstances last season, some obviously unforeseen. In Solanki and Smith, we clearly have recruited two highly experienced batsmen, and that was a main priority heading into the close season. You can also argue that players such as Burns and Harinath, who were certainly not first team regulars at the beginning of last season, have proven how good they are and their potential. 17 year old Dominic Sibley has also signed his first professional contract, and he will certainly be a star of the future, but I think this season will be a bit too early for him.

Overall, I have counted 11 batsmen in the current first team squad. 11 may sound a lot to some people, considering that you only play 7 batters a game. However, that number includes a 17 year old who is yet to play First Class cricket; a wicket keeper in Gary Wilson who will be away for some of the season; the South African captain who will miss up to 6 Championship matches; KP, who will be unavailable for the majority of the season and Zafar Ansari who is completing his year at Cambridge University. That could mean that at some points in the season, we could have just 6 batsmen available in the squad.

6 is certainly not enough, and combined with the possibility that injuries could always prove a problem and the form of Vikram Solanki and Zander de Bruyn questionable last season, it looks as if we need to recruit. It isn’t clear yet if an overseas replacement would be brought in for when Graeme Smith isn’t available. Smith is likely to be unavailable for the majority of June due to the ICC Champions Trophy and for the end of July because of South Africa having ODI’s in Sri Lanka, but to be honest, he is going to be available much more than I expected he would when we first signed him.

In regards of de Bruyn and Solanki, I’m not totally sure that they still have the ability to be consistent performers in First Class cricket. Solanki struggled for Worcestershire last season in the Championship until he was inevitably dropped, and everyone associated with Surrey knows how disappointing Zander was last year. He has gone away once again this winter with the Highveld Lions in South Africa, but has struggled in the games that he has featured, scoring just 2 half centuries since October.

 

The man I thought that could come into the Championship middle order on a more regular basis was Matt Spriegel, but of course he has left for Northamptonshire. The decision to let Spriegs go really baffled me, as I thought that he was one of our best players in List A cricket last season and would have been part of our side for the next decade or so. Adams had a man capable of playing all forms of the game and has let him go, so therefore he needs to find a replacement.

Another area that I think that we need to improve is for the Friends Life Twenty 20. We haven’t qualified for the Quarter Finals since 2006 and haven’t been to finals day since 2005. For a club who won the inaugural tournament and were at the first 3 finals days, it is a terrible return. I believe what we need is a high quality, current international, Twenty 20 specialist batsman coming into our squad for the tournament. In the past we have had had second rate overseas players who add hardly anything to our squad. Andrew Symonds was an ex international who was past it, Grant Elliott wasn’t better than anything we had at the time, and Dirk Nannes is certainly not better than the likes of Jade and Trem. I know that it is difficult to get a current international with the amount of cricket being played these days, but plenty of counties have had such a thing in the last couple of years, such as Martin Guptill at Derbyshire and Dave Warner at Middlesex.

One player who you can rely on to get runs in T20 cricket is Adam Voges, and I thought that he could have been a good signing for us, but he has recently been snapped up by our London rivals. Even though he isn’t a regular in a rather strong Aussie line up, he is in his prime at the moment and will help Middlesex vastly.

With two of our most explosive batsman in Rory Hamilton-Brown and Tom Maynard not being with us anymore due to unforeseen circumstances, we have been left with few quick scoring batsman, so a star overseas batsman for the T20 is a necessity in my opinion.

You may have noticed I haven’t really discussed our bowling options. That’s because I believe our bowling line up is one of the strongest we have had for years. We have 3 high quality international seamers in Jade, Meaks and Tremlett, as well as the useful back up of Linley, Lewis and youngsters Edwards, Dunn and Jewell. In Gareth Batty and Gary Keedy we also have two of the most successful spin bowlers in the last decade of county cricket, and they will contemplate each other well.

So there it is, my look ahead to next season is complete. Overall, I think things are starting to look rosy for the next few years, as Adams has blended youth and experience well in the squad. However, additions are necessary to strengthen our batting line up and to make sure we put in a strong fight for all 3 competitions.

Surrey Players Abroad: Part 3

Surrey Players Abroad Part 3

While some of the Surrey first team squad are in the UK preparing for the 2013 season, a number of them have travelled abroad, plying their trade for a variety of teams in all formats of the game. Here is the 3^rd instalment of how they have been getting on over the winter months.

 

Zander de Bruyn

Zander and the Highveld Lions didn’t play too many games in the last month or so, but did face the Cape Cobras in the Momentum One Day Cup final. The initial final was abandoned due to rain, so was restarted the following day, but after the rain once again intervened, the two teams had to share the trophy. Just before Christmas, the Lions faced Warriors in a Sunfoil Series 4 day game, but Zander didn’t make an impact with the bat, scoring a combined 11 in the two innings. He did pick up 3 wickets but saw his side lose by 10 wickets. In the following match he didn’t pick up any wickets but scored a first half century of the season, a 144-ball 63 before being caught behind by Johann van der Wath.

Jade Dernbach

I think it’s fair to say Jade didn’t have the best of times of it in the 2 Twenty20 Internationals against India last month. He went wicketless in his 3 expensive overs in India’s 5 wicket win in the first game of the mini-series, before claiming 2 wickets in the final game, once again going at 9 an over. The amount of extras Jade gave away would have disappointed him, as he looked rusty despite playing 3 games in early December for the England Performance Squad. He is part of the ODI squad which faces India this month, but he has been left out of the ODI squad which tours New Zealand in February. Jade will be looking to find some form in the India series, before travelling to New Zealand for the T20’s only.

 

Stuart Meaker

Stuart Meaker also featured in the two Twenty 20’s against India and, like Jade, also looked rusty, even though he also played several games for the England Performance Squad before joining up with the senior squad. He picked up the wicket of Virat Kohli in each of the games, but was rather expensive, especially in the second in which he went for over 10 runs per over in his allotment of 4. He will also be part of the India ODI series and the New Zealand Twenty 20’s, but also like Jade, he has been left out of the New Zealand ODI squad for next month.

Kevin Pietersen

After KP helping his side level the Test Series against India with a superb hundred, he was once again in the runs in the 3^rd match, scoring 54 in the first innings as England won by 7 wickets, holding a 2-1 lead going into the final match of the series. On a poor pitch in Nagpur, Pietersen stood tall in the first innings, scoring a slow, but oh so important, 74, as many around him tried and failed. Despite leaving a ball on his stumps when on 6 in the second innings, England managed to draw the final game of the series, winning for the first time in India since 1985. And with 1 century and 2 fifties, KP certainly played his part. He will join up with the ODI squad in India later this month, but has once again been rested for the Limited overs part of the tour to New Zealand.

Dominic Sibley

Not many people would have heard of Dominic Sibley, but I think that will change over the coming years. At the age of just 17, Sibley was named “One of the greatest at his age” by the Pemberton Greenish Academy director Gareth Townsend, and has a huge future ahead of him. Breaking into the Surrey second team at just 16 and scoring double hundreds in the Surrey Premier Division, there’s no wonder why he has been named in the England Under 19 squad to tour South Africa at the end of this month. He may only be 17, but he could be the long term answer to our opening batsman problems.

Graeme Smith

The Surrey skipper will lead his South Africa side in 2 match test series against New Zealand this month, before playing a 3 match ODI series against the same opposition.

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.