After enjoying a period of rest following a successful 2023 season – the Surrey first team squad have returned to pre-season training at The Kia Oval, or flown overseas to play in the various franchise leagues or club cricket.
The Australian Big Bash League (BBL) started this morning with four Surrey players representing various sides. Tom Curran returns to the BBL, joining Sean Abbott at the Sydney Sixers. Laurie Evans is back at Perth Scorchers, where he smashed 76 from 41 balls in the 2022 final as the Scorchers beat the Sixers. Big hitting all-rounder Jamie Overton joins the Adelaide Strikers for his first BBL stint. Surrey’s T20 captain Chris Jordan swaps Sydney for the Hobart Hurricanes this year.
Some of the younger members of the Surrey squad are also in Australia playing highly-competitive Grade Cricket in Australia. Tommy Ealham – who recently signed a professional contract with Surrey, is playing in Perth for Melville Cricket Club. Batter Ben Geddes is also in Western Australia for Perth Cricket Club.
Conor McKerr (Fairfield Liverpool CC), Josh Blake (Hawkesbury CC) and Cam Steel (Eastern Suburbs) are in Sydney playing in the New South Wales Premier Cricket Competition.
The second edition of the SA20 league begins in January, with lots of Surrey representation. Jason Roy (Paarl Royals), Will Jacks (Pretoria Capitals), Sam Curran (MI Cape Town) and Reece Topley (Durban’s Super Giants) are staying with their team from the inaugural 2023 season. The Surrey addition to the competition is Dan Worrall – who has signed for Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
At the same time, the ILT20 league takes place in the UAE with lots of Surrey representation. Gus Atkinson’s stellar 2023 began with a brilliant stint with the Desert Vipers, where he will once again take the field alongside Tom Curran. A Surrey trio will represent the Gulf Giants, with Chris Jordan, Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith running out for them, while Laurie Evans is heading to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
The Pakistan Super League will be played between February and March next year, with six Surrey players involved. Tom Curran is once again off to Islamabad United where he joins up with Azhar Mahmood. Jason Roy is joining up with the Quetta Gladiators for the fifth time. Jamie Overton will join the Karachi Kings, with Dan Lawrence heading to the Lahore Qalanders. Multan Sultans have acquired the talents of Surrey’s T20 captain Chris Jordan and Reece Topley.
New signing Dan Lawrence is currently in the USA playing US Open Cricket for Kingsmen. After the season, Laurie Evans represented the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League.
Alice Capsey (Melbourne Stars) and Bryony Smith (Hobart Hurricanes) recently participated in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League. Capsey lined up alongside England and South East Stars teammate Sophia Dunkley, with the pair coached by Surrey Women’s Head Coach Jonathan Batty. Nat Sciver-Brunt helped Perth Scorchers to the Challenger – where they were defeated by eventual winners the Brisbane Heat.
Capsey, Dunkley and Sciver-Brunt have flown to India now to be a part of England’s IT20 and Test squad for the multi-format series against India. The series includes three IT20s at the Wankhede Stadium followed by a Test match.
Over the weekend, Surrey wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby kept wicket for the England A side that defeated India A 2-1 in an IT20 series.
Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Reece Topley and Will Jacks are in the West Indies ahead of England’s white-ball series.
