County Championship Preview: Surrey

With the County Season fast approaching I thought I would preview every team when I can do. Starting with the current Champions Surrey

Surrey are the reigning County Champions having won with 250 points and they continue with their great strength in depth and having a good number of players who are on the fringes of England but not close enough to be in the Squad.

Last year they ran a 4 frontline seam attack with the part-time spin of Will Jacks. And had England Test Players Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes in the Engine Room for the start of the season averaging 70 and 73 respectively.

This year they have both Rory Burns and Dom Sibley so they intend to bore other teams to death. A real problem for them however might be pushing games over the line due to the low strike-rates of their openers. Hashim Amla has finally called time on this career so they have an open spot at number 3 which could be perfect for Ollie Pope when he is available after making the spot in the England side his own. They will lose him from the Ireland Test for basically the rest of the season but in the first 6 county championship matches he should be available.

Ryan Patel had an excellent season last year finishing with 719 runs at 35 but looks to have lost his place unless he can slot in at 3. With the Overseas players of Sean Abbot and Kemar Roach they will look to take plenty of wickets quickly in their defence of the title but with Jamie Overton out for the foreseeable future with a Stress Fracture that element of extra pace has gone.

They start with a game away at Old Trafford against Lancashire so they have no easy start to the season but I expect them to do well.

Expected Team:

Rory Burns

Dom Sibley

Ryan Patel

Ollie Pope

Ben Foakes / Jamie Smith (WK)

Will Jacks

Jordan Clark

Tom Lawes

Dan Worrall

Sean Abbot

Kemar Roach