The Rothesay County Championship returns on Sunday as Surrey travel to Worcestershire for the first of four rounds with the Kookaburra balls.
Surrey currently sit second the Division One table on 105 points, ten points behind leaders Nottinghamshire.
Play gets underway at 11:00am, with a kookaburra ball being used.
SURREY SQUAD
Mitchell Santner will be available for Surrey’s fixture against Worcestershire after extending his stay with the Club. With his partner due to give birth this week, Ben Foakes is missing the trip to Worcester.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
The match will be streamed live on Worcestershire’s YouTube channel. A link to the stream will be available on the Kia Oval Match Centre and Surrey’s social media channels. Surrey Cricket’s social media channels will also provide live updates from New Road, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of each day’s play.
LAST TIME OUT
A 21st century record crowd watched Surrey draw with Essex in an entertaining match as the Club celebrated the Festival of Red Ball Cricket.
Surrey were rewarded with their decision to send Essex in to bat as the visitors were bowled out for 217 on the first day. Nathan Smith was the pick of the Surrey bowlers, picking up 3/53.
In response, half-centuries from Kurtis Patterson (51), Sam Curran (70) and Jordan Clark took Surrey to 279, a lead of 62. Sri Lankan quick Kasun Rajitha was the pick of the Essex bowlers, taking five wickets with his pace and bounce.
Centuries from Paul Walter (118) and exciting young batter Charlie Allison (140) helped Essex put on 479 in the second innings.
Rory Burns’ side faced an uphill task, requiring 418 runs to win from 104 overs.
Essex picked up wickets at key times before Surrey batted for the draw in the afternoon session, with both sides shaking hands with Surrey seven down for 289.
WORCESTERSHIRE
Previewed by John Curtis – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Head Coach: Alan Richardson
2024 finish: Sixth
2024 highest run-scorer: Kashif Ali (767)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Tom Taylor, Joe Leach, Nathan Smith (all 27 wickets)
Key winter moves: All-rounder, Ben Allison, and spinner, Fateh Singh, have signed three-year deals after moving from Essex and Nottinghamshire respectively following successful loan spells at Visit Worcestershire New Road. Pace bowler, Jacob Duffy, is the latest in a lengthy line of New Zealanders to enjoy a spell with Worcestershire. He is available for Rothesay County Championshipand Vitality Blast cricket throughout the first half of the summer until the end of June.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: Worcestershire were the bookies favourites last summer to make an instant return to Division Two but achieved their highest finish since the competition was split into two divisions in 2000. They aimed from pre-season for a top six spot rather than just survive and the positive attitude and never-say-die spirit demanded by club captain Brett D’Oliveira, despite several key injuries, will again be at the fore in 2025 and there is more depth to the squad to give genuine hope of securing a third successive year in the top flight.
Player to watch: Although he has spent several winters playing franchise cricket plus The Hundred, Adam Hose is determined to make his mark in the red-ball format. One the reasons he moved from Warwickshire was to have more Championship opportunities and Hose has played 25 of 28 four-day games and, although lacking consistency, has made several vital contributions including in the 2024 memorable away wins over Durhan and Essex.
Final thought: Worcestershire know they will have to again perform well to have a realistic chance of maintaining Division One status with newly-promoted Yorkshire and Sussex both looking strong. But, despite go-to pace bowler Joe Leach retiring, there is genuine belief they will not be whipping boys especially if they avoid what was at times a shockingly lengthy injury list in 2024, particularly in the bowling department. The likes of Jake Libby, Gareth Roderick and Kashif Ali are capable of providing ample runs at the top of the order but they also have a posse of all-rounders like Matthew Waite, Tom Taylor and Ben Allison which mean they bat very deep.
LAST TIME OUT VS WORCESTERSHIRE
Dan Lawrence was in a destructive mood, smashing windows and equalling records as he hit 175 of Surrey’s 490 runs against Worcestershire. He hit 38 runs off a single Shoiab Bashir over, including five consecutive sixes, to equal the record for the most runs off a single over in first-class cricket. There were also half-centuries for Dom Sibley (76), Jamie Smith (86) and Ben Foakes (52).
James Taylor (3/19) and Dan Lawrence (3/49) took three wickets apiece as Surrey rolled Worcestershire for 212. Burns was rewarded with enforcing the follow on as Jordan Clark’s 5/65 bowled Worcestershire out for 273, ensuring victory by an innings and five runs.
