MID SEASON 2010

SUPPORTERS' CLUB NEWS

REMEMBERED
It is with deep sadness that we have to inform you of the passing of two loyal Surrey supporters, John Stephens and John Wright. John Stephens, who died last December, was a habitual fantasy team entrant, who enjoyed a friendly rivalry with Bill Bateman. As you can see below, this year Bill has named his team Tribute To John-Boy. John Wright, who passed away in April, came up with the idea of having a Young Player of the Year award and purchased the trophy, which has been presented by the Supporters' Club since 1985, with his great friend Colin Bayly. Our condolences go out to Bill, Colin and the families and friends of John Stephens and John Wright.

GUILDFORD MARQUEE: 8th AUGUST
Once again, the Supporters' Club will have a marquee on the Sunday of the Guildford Festival; when, this year, the Lions will play host to the Sussex Sharks in the Clydesdale Bank 40League. We regret that no refreshments will be available. SCCCSC members are, however, welcome to bring along your packed lunches and enjoy the game in more relaxed surroundings.

GREYHOUND EVENING: 24th SEPTEMBER
Reservations are now being accepted for the annual Supporters' Club Greyhound Evening, to be held at Wimbledon Stadium on September 24. The night begins at 7.00pm, half an hour before the first race gets underway. The price per head is approximately £31, which includes your admission, a race card and a three course sit-down meal. Please telephone Tony Packwood on 07887-484030 or 020-8639-0242 for further details etc. If you are attending, please let Tony know by the end of August.

FANTASY LEAGUE LATEST
As at June 7, the latest standings in the Oval World Fantasy Cricket League 2010 were as follows:

ALCOCK ROOM
This season Surrey CCC have, once again, kindly allowed the Supporters' Club use of the Alcock Room on home match days at the Brit Oval. The Alcock Room, which is situated on the fourth floor of the Main Pavilion (next door to the Library), affords an excellent view of events. Visitors are always guaranteed a warm welcome from Ann Atkins and various other members of the Supporters' Club committee.

MEMBERSHIP 2010
If you haven't yet renewed your membership of the Surrey CCC Supporters' Club, please make sure you do so as soon as possible, or you could miss out on future editions of 'Oval World'. The annual subscription rates are £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 to Chris Keene at 38 Stock Hill, Biggin Hill, Kent TN16 3TJ. Cheques should be made payable to: 'SCCC Supporters' Club'.

CENTURY CLUB

1st Draw
1st - No. 93 - Brian Sanders - £40
2nd - No.38 - Ann Atkins - £12
3rd - No.92 - Sarah Atkins - £8

2nd Draw
1st - No. 52 - Brian De Neut - £40
2nd - No.69 - Tricia Garrard - £12
3rd - No.50 - Rebecca Garrard - £8

3rd Draw
1st - No.110 - Liam Randall - £200
2nd - No.2 - Tricia Garrard - £25
3rd - No.37 - Richard Budden - £15

4th Draw
1st - No.47 - Frank Smith - £40
2nd - No.14 - Elizabeth Howgill - £12
3rd - No.2 - Tricia Garrard - £8

5th Draw
1st - No.77 - Rob Boney - £40
2nd - No.1 - Howard Hollingshead - £12
3rd - No.47 - Frank Smith - £8

6th Draw
1st - No.16 - Bob Parsons - £200
2nd - No.55 - Thomas Manley - £25
3rd - No.76 - Mick Cunnew - £15

Anyone wishing to become a Century Club member for the six remaining draws in 2010, can do so by sending a cheque for £18.00 (made payable to the SCCCSC Century Club) along with their details to Sarah Atkins at The Cheviots, 236 Ashbourne Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 2DR.

TEAM, CLUB AND OTHER NEWS

ROY BECOMES FIRST SURREY BATSMAN TO HIT T20 HUNDRED
In only his seventh appearance for Surrey, Jason Roy became the first Lions batsman to reach three figures in Twenty20 cricket. The 19-year-old, yet another professional cricketer to come off the Whitgift School production line, showed no nerves against Kent at Beckenham as he smashed an unbeaten 101 from 57 balls to set-up the visitors' 38-run victory. It was their fourth win in five FPT20 games and their star performer couldn't hide his delight. Speaking to the South London Press (June 25), Roy said: "I'm over the moon - I can't believe it. It was my day and a great feeling. I had a bit of luck at the start of my innings, but that's all part of the game. I loved every minute of it out there - I really enjoy playing cricket and I was hitting the ball well. It was a great win and it puts us in a strong position for the rest of the tournament." The youngster was unaware until after the game that he had just made a piece of club history by reaching three figures in the 20-over format. He said: "It's awesome and a great step for me. This club's had a lot of great players so it's a big achievement."

DERNBACH OUT FOR FOUR WEEKS
On June 22, Surrey revealed that Jade Dernbach will be out of action for up to four weeks as he recovers from the side strain he suffered at Lord's on June 17. The 24-year-old, who is Surrey's leading wicket taker in first-class cricket this season, with 37 victims at 23.37 runs apiece, had just been selected for the England Lions squad. The rehabilitation process means he will now be out of action for the Lions' remaining FPT20 South group fixtures. Surrey's professional cricket manager, Chris Adams said: "We were all very pleased when we took the phone call from Geoff Miller telling us Jade had been selected. This had come off the back of some sustained quality performances and was very well deserved. His injury has come at the worst possible moment for him but his time will definitely come and he is now in the selectors' minds in terms of squads that will be selected in future." The club's lead physio, Alex Tysoe added: "We are only three days into the injury at present, so we're treating it conservatively with lots of ice, rest and compression. Later this week we will start the rehabilitation process where Jade will be working his core and side muscles functionally in the hope of his making a return within three to four weeks."

SURREY REJECT PROPOSED RE-STRUCTURING OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Surrey have rejected all five of the ECB's proposals for re-structuring the County Championship. In a letter sent to David Collier, the chief executive of the ECB, on June 2, by the Surrey chairman David Stewart, the club is "concerned that the future of championship cricket is being considered in isolation from the rest of domestic and international cricket." With 96% of the Surrey members who were polled saying they would like to see the County Championship remain as it is, Stewart wrote: "The County Championship is the bedrock of our game and is the reason that we retain our members. There is already concern that the competition is marginalised as half the competition is over by the end of May with little championship cricket available in the period from July to September. Hopefully a shorter more focussed Twenty 20 competition would mean fewer championship matches played in the early part of the season and more fixtures in July and August. Some counties have made an estimate of the membership income that could be lost if Championship cricket is reduced, it does seem as though this could be up to £2 million across the country. Income the game can ill afford to lose."

RAMPRAKASH CONSIDERING RETIREMENT
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph (May 28), Surrey's Mark Ramprakash admitted that he worries about life after cricket. The 40-year-old batsman said: "I'm going to be retiring from cricket soon and I've no idea what I'll do afterwards so I'm a little bit concerned about where my income will come from over the next 25 years. I was playing for England in the Nineties and cricket wasn't as well remunerated then as it is now. The idea of coaching appeals to me and it would be logical to try and stay involved with the game, but those opportunities don't necessarily come up often and there's not the security involved with those jobs that there once was."

SURREY FINE NEL £5,000
On May 28, Surrey suspended Andre Nel for two matches after another show of indiscipline by the South African seamer. Nel, who also received a two-game ban from the ECB at the end of April, appeared before an internal hearing where he was found guilty of a level two breach of the ECB code. The charge related to an incident during Surrey's championship victory over Northamptonshire - in which Nel played a starring role - when the paceman apparently threw the ball in the direction of batsman Niall O'Brien. It is believed the hearing also took into account the charge that Nel stormed out of a meeting between him, the Surrey captain, Rory Hamilton-Brown and the umpires at the end of that day's play. Nel was also fined £5,000, with half suspended for the remainder of his Surrey contract. The club's managing director of cricket Gus Mackay said: "The way we conduct ourselves on and off the field is of utmost importance to us and breaches like this can't go unpunished. We have to be firm and consistent in our stance regarding improper behaviour that can bring the club and game into disrepute." Nel's ban covered the LV County Championship matches against Glamorgan and Leicestershire.

PCA CHIEF SAYS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WILL BE DIMINISHED
The chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association says the lack of English teams in the Twenty20 Champions League will "diminish" it. Angus Porter told BBC Sport (May 24): "The Champions League looks as if it is here to stay and it ought to have an agreed slot. Not having English teams there diminishes the competition. A number of counties have invested a lot in Twenty20. What we think is that a reasonably fixed window is fixed so that English clubs can take part. Players do want to play in the Champions League Twenty20 if at all possible." In February, the ECB called on organisers of this year's tournament, being held in South Africa from 10-26 September, to reconsider the timing of the competition. However, this year's Champions League clashes with the final two rounds of County Championship fixtures and the semi-finals and final of the new Clydesdale Bank 40League. In addition, England host Pakistan in a five-match one-day international series from 10-22 September.

COUNTY PROS SLATE HEAVY WORKLOAD
Eighty per cent of players believe the county cricket structure is worse than last year. The figure comes from a PCA survey in which players also openly criticise the heavy workload they have to cope with. "Players are inevitably going through the motions at various stages so the cricket's not as good as it could be," said one anonymous player surveyed. "It's impossible to maintain intensity with the amount of cricket we play." Another is quoted as saying: "The people writing the schedule cannot honestly understand what it requires. At the moment, we are in the middle of playing 15 out of 17 days, including arriving home at 3.00am after travelling. I am happy to do as much as possible during the season, but the risk of injury just gets greater and greater." But most players remain keen that the structure of the Championship, which features 16 four-day matches per team, should be maintained. The PCA survey reveals that only a minority would make a reduction in the existing Championship programme, while 69% would opt first for a reduction in one of the one-day competitions, or from a combination of one and four-day cricket. The PCA has concluded that this year's increase to 16 Twenty20 fixtures "risks overkill" and suggests fewer matches "will not necessarily reduce income for the counties." It adds: "The benefits of better scheduling will mean better attendances for one-day cricket, and - with some modest scope for periods of rest and recuperation - better cricket too."

CHAWLA REFUSED PERMISSION TO PLAY FOR SURREY
On May 18, Surrey announced that India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will not feature for the Oval outfit this term. Chawla, who was signed as overseas player last October, has been refused permission to play county cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The bad news was softened by the joint announcement that Younis Khan had been signed until mid-July. Surrey's professional cricket manager Chris Adams was quoted as saying: "I am confident that bringing a world class player such as Younis Khan to Surrey will have a very positive effect on the side. As well as benefiting from the weight of runs we hope he will bring, we have a number of young batsman who will doubtless benefit greatly from being able to train and play alongside him. In terms of the FPT20, the experience and skills that saw him lead Pakistan to the ICC World Twenty20 title in 2009 are sure to greatly help us in our pursuit of the trophy."

SPRIEGEL KEEN TO CEMENT STARTING PLACE
Matthew Spriegel says the biggest thing he learnt from his winter in Australia was the ability to construct an innings. The 23-year-old left-hander's second first-class hundred in eight visits to the crease spared Surrey's blushes when the Oval outfit played host to Bangladesh on 9-11 May. Speaking to the Surrey Mirror, he said: "I had a great time out in Australia. I got three hundreds for Perth and was the club's top scorer. It was a fantastic way to spend the winter and I made some really good friends out there. I really enjoyed it and it's something I'll be looking to do again. The biggest improvement it brought to my game was my ability to score hundreds." Even though Spriegel's first-class hundreds have been made at numbers five and six, he said he didn't mind where he bats in the order. He said: "I don't necessarily prefer batting in the middle order. The new ball is obviously the most difficult time to bat, but if you get through that it's the best time to bat. Unfortunately in the first couple of championship games I got two thirties, which I really should have kicked on from and then two nothings down at Hove - that can happen on a wet wicket in April."

COUNTIES PLAY DOWN SIGNIFICANCE OF MODI MEETING
Yorkshire's chief executive Stewart Regan has insisted that a meeting with Lalit Modi was simply a fact-finding mission. Regan was one of three county officials who met the then Indian Premier League chairman on March 31. Having seen a leaked email discussing the meeting, the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke questioned Modi's motives. But Regan said: "There were no deals, no secret meetings, no offers made." He was joined by officials from Lancashire and Warwickshire at a meeting arranged by marketing company IMG with Modi, prior to the Indian businessman's suspension over allegations of financial impropriety. A leaked email from Regan outlined the financial success of the IPL and suggested that Modi was keen for England to run a parallel competition based on the existing IPL franchises. Regan, though, has insisted that far from being an attempt to undermine the county game, the meeting was a chance to learn from the IPL's success in mixing cricket and entertainment. He said: "It was a fact-finding mission and the elements of that that have been leaked to the press have been blown out of all proportion. We talked about a variety of scenarios that could occur in the future and it was very much an above-board, transparent meeting. There was never any firm discussion of any league or any proposals actually discussed. What was debated was the success of the IPL and how it had grown to be one of the most world's most successful leagues inside two years. The questions being debated around that lunch table - and that's what it was more than anything, a lunch."

RECESSION - WHAT RECESSION? AS PLAYERS' WAGES RISE BY A THIRD
Spending on England cricket soared to £25.7m in 2009 with salaries to players passing the £5m mark for the first time. National teams and support structures made up more than a quarter of the ECB's £95.6m expenditure, according to figures revealed in the board's annual report. The total wage bill for players reached £5.62m, up 36 percent from £4.14m the previous year and compares to £3.97m when England won the Ashes previously in 2005. Five years ago, the cost of running the whole England operation was only 15 percent of the total budget: £10.9m out of £70.3m. But the increased allocation to England players and the broader international fold has not come at a cost to the domestic game, with payments to the first-class counties up from £32.7m in 2008 to £35.4m.

DAVIES HAS SIGHTS ON ASHES TRIP
Steven Davies believes strong performances for Surrey will help him force his way back into the England side in time for next winter's tour of Australia. The 24-year-old has impressed since joining from Worcestershire, scoring a hundred in his first-class debut for Surrey, against Cambridge MCCE at Fenner's. So far Davies has only played twice for England, but believes being at the Oval will help him in his ambition to don the gloves many more times for his country. He said: "I want to play for England, that's probably the main reason why I moved to Surrey. I needed to play on better wickets. I also need better facilities to practice in. Worcester didn't really have that. It's always been the case that as wicketkeeper you're fighting for one spot. If you're lucky enough to get a chance you've got to take it these days because there are plenty of people snapping at your heels." To become an England regular, Davies will have to dislodge Matt Prior, the Sussex keeper. Davies has been impressed with Prior's recent performances and admits he will also have to convince the selectors that he is next in line above Somerset's Craig Kieswetter. "Matty Prior is keeping very well," added Davies. "There were question marks about his keeping, but he's worked hard on it and he's improved. I know that all the keepers are working hard. If you're in the ECB set up, you get to work with Bruce French. I've worked with him for a couple of years now and he's taken my keeping to another level, just through hard work really. Matty's done well in Test cricket, so for me to get the nod I've got to be scoring a lot of runs this year. Kiesy had a good winter. He got his chance in that one-dayer and got a hundred. Unfortunately, that's how cricket goes." Davies also insisted that once Surrey came calling there was only one side he wanted to play for. He said: "There were a few counties who were keen to speak to me, but as soon as I spoke to Chris Adams I knew this was the place I wanted to come to. I came down and he gave me his spiel on where the club's going and where it has been. As soon as I heard him speak I thought: 'I want to be a part of this.' Surrey's a massive club and it was at rock bottom last year. For it to turn around there were changes that needed to be made."

TEST MATCH GROUNDS RE-CONSIDER "CITY FRANCHISES" IDEA
According to the Daily Telegraph (April 13), a working party, set up by the counties who own Test venues and the MCC, who own Lord's, is examining the entire structure of county cricket in England, including the option of an Indian Premier League-style Twenty20 tournament. The group have commissioned Deloitte to compile a report, which will be submitted to the ECB. The counties involved are Durham, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Yorkshire. The previous proposal for city franchises, devised by Keith Bradshaw (the secretary and chief executive of the MCC) and David Stewart (the chairman of Surrey) was scuppered by opposition from the smaller counties, who feared being sidelined. Their support will be crucial if the working party again puts forward such a system. The move has been prompted by ongoing concerns that there is just not enough international cricket to sustain the Test match grounds' redevelopment plans. A senior source was quoted as saying: "The group is looking at the whole domestic structure and part of that will be Twenty20 cricket. We will also look at the bidding system in terms of how that operates and whether the model we have at the moment is the best model or not. A few of the guys have been out to India and we are convinced there are enough investors in India alone who would be willing to buy into a franchise." It is believed that a new Twenty20 competition would run alongside the existing Friends Provident Twenty20, a tournament that includes all 18 counties. With pressure mounting over the amount of cricket played in England the addition of a new competition would leave the Clydesdale Bank 40-over league, which begins on Sunday, looking increasingly vulnerable. The original Bradshaw-Stewart proposal offered revenue shares for all counties not involved in the main tournament, which would have featured nine teams and 57 matches played across 25 days at the Test match grounds. It was estimated at the time that each franchise could be sold for £50 million and the tournament could have generated £85 million annually from broadcast, match-day and commercial revenues. Those sums may be scaled back following the economic downturn but with the IPL gaining in strength, ambition does not appear to have been stunted in Twenty20 cricket. For the larger Test grounds the stakes are high. The current match-allocation process involves counties bidding for different packages. But with the structure of Test cricket increasingly uncertain the major grounds are fearful of the economic future. Last year Warwickshire recorded a profit of £1.15 million after hosting an Ashes Test. However, in 2007, when Edgbaston did not host a Test, they lost £895,000.

SYMONDS HOOKS UP WITH SURREY FOR T20 CAMPAIGN
At the club's Press Day on April 7, Surrey's professional cricket manager, Chris Adams described the signing of Andrew Symonds for this summer's Friends Provident T20 campaign as a gamble worth taking. The 34-year-old has a chequered history. The final straw for Australia's selectors came during the build-up to last year's ICC World Twenty20 in England when another breach of the team's rules on alcohol. In spite of this, Adams said: "I phoned him up about two months ago to get a sense of where he was within his life and his career. I guess I'm attracted to the broken souls, if you like, and people who find themselves in the scenario and situation that Andrew does because if we can provide an environment for him and a place for him to come back and almost repair and reinvent himself then again it's a win-win. We'll get the best out of him and he'll get the best out of us. Often people say: 'We want people who will die for the county'. I want people who will come and live for the county and enjoy themselves. I'm pretty sure he's geared up better than most people to enjoy himself, that's for sure. He enjoys certain aspects of a decent lifestyle, but again it comes back to performance on the field. That's the thing I'm most interested in. If Andrew Symonds joins us and continues to perform like he has in India recently we'll be delighted. In a Twenty20 situation, you'd like to think that Andrew Symonds would be walking to the wicket with about 10 overs to go, and would bring in his incredible power hitting. If you add into that an incredible fielder and the ability to bowl both spin and seam, then you've got yourself a decent cricketer."

MICHAEL BROWN AND CHRIS JORDAN MISS FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON
Surrey's Michael Brown and Chris Jordan have not played any competitive cricket this summer, apart from the former's solitary appearance against Cambridge MCCE at the start of the season. Brown sustained an injury to his left elbow in the final days of pre-season as a reaction to some major changes to his technique implemented during the winter. The 30-year-old opener has been diagnosed as suffering from a sub acute tear to the tendon, an injury more commonly known as tennis elbow. Meanwhile, Chris Jordan has been sidelined with a back injury. The 21-year-old was troubled by a back problem last season after suffering a stress fracture earlier in his career. On April 6, Chris Adams, Surrey's professional cricket manager, said: "We're working towards his career and improving his career from this point in time. He carries the tag of great potential. It's been a really frustrating time for him, frustrating for us as well. We certainly want that talent out on the field. But let's hope that we've finally got to the bottom of something. His bulging disc through this period will have time to rest but I'm quietly confident that we are doing everything we possibly can now."

SIR ALEC BEDSER
On April 4, Sir Alec Bedser, England's oldest Test cricketer and one of the true giants of the game, died at the Nuffield Hospital, a few hundred yards from the house that he and Eric, his twin, helped their father to build in Woking, Surrey. He was 91. Regarded as one of finest pacemen to play the game, Bedser's playing career spanned 1939-1960 during which time he took 1,924 first-class wickets at 20.41 including 236 for England in 51 Tests. He then became chairman of selectors from 1969 to 1981 and also managed two England tours. In 1996 he was knighted for his services to cricket. Bedser was also a key figure in Surrey's record run of seven successive county championships between 1952 and 1958, when he played alongside Eric, a talented all-rounder in his own right. He took 100 wickets in a season 11 times, five or more in an innings 96 times and ten or more in a match 16 times. Micky Stewart, another Surrey legend and one of Sir Alec's closest friends said: "This is obviously a very sad day for me and everybody who has been associated with Alec both during his Surrey and England days. I first met him in my debut season with Surrey in 1953 when he was the senior professional and it was an honour and a great experience to play with him. He was an incredibly accurate medium pace bowler with great control and I know he was extremely proud of the great Sir Don Bradman saying he was the finest bowler of his type that he played against. He was also great friends to myself and my family. Whenever there were moments of concern, Alec was always the first on the phone to see that everything was okay. Alec was the typical traditional English professional cricketer and never quite understood all the fuss that goes on about the game today - both on and off the field. Paul Sheldon, chief executive of Surrey, added: "Sir Alec was an iconic figure in world cricket. He upheld all the great traditions of the game and represented an era that has had a lasting impact on the history of Test and county cricket. Along with his twin brother Eric, he was one of the most recognisable characters in cricket across the globe. In our sadness at the passing of one of the worlds greatest cricketers, we can also celebrate the end of an innings which brought pleasure to millions - and who was respected by all who were privileged to have known him."

SURREY CONSIDERING WINTER BASE IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Surrey's director of cricket, Gus Mackay, has revealed the club is thinking of establishing a winter training base in the United Arab Emirates. Speaking to Test Match Extra (March 27) during the Lions' pre-season visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Mackay said: "I've been privileged enough to come out here to the UAE for four years in a row now and when I think of how things were at the start to where we are now it's been fantastic progress. When you're managing tours abroad you often come across little difficulties at the airport, the hotel or with transport, but this trip has been incredibly smooth. They have learned a lot as a business and got it absolutely spot on. Going forward, the UAE has a lot to offer to county cricket in my view. If you look at 7he Sevens ground, if they can get that square up to the standards of the one in Abu Dhabi, then you've got a wonderful facility. One of the things we at Surrey are looking at is how we can assist with developing cricket out here and the potential for using 7he Sevens ground for winter training camps and specialist Surrey coaching sessions. What you have here is guaranteed good weather and great facilities, all backed by a high-profile organisation in Emirates Airline. What we at Surrey offer is a very well known brand and a high-quality coaching staff that could add value here in a number of different ways. The way the world of cricket is moving forward you need your players to be fit and ready to play 12 months of the year, so if we could bring our squad out here in the middle of our winter to work in the sunshine for a week, then we have to look at that."

SURREY REPORT RECORD PROFIT
On March 22, Surrey CCC announced a record annual profit of £752,000 for 2009. The income from staging last summer's Ashes-clinching Test and co-hosting the ICC World Twenty20 were major factors in a 29 per cent pre-tax increase on 2008. Chief executive, Paul Sheldon said: "We are pleased to announce significant increases in turnover and profits and believe that these results are testament to the hard work of our staff during what has been a particularly challenging year commercially. We need to continue to produce these levels of profit in order to meet our commitments to professional and recreational cricket in Surrey by investing in players and other grassroots initiatives, as well as servicing our debt on the OCS stand and continuing the improvement of our ground. As we look to the future, we are very conscious of the need to diversify our income streams - and we expect to continue the expansion of our business activities through the building of a new hotel at the ground, in partnership with Arora International."

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