Well the 2011 cricket season is nearly upon us, but what prospects lie in store at Surrey CCC.
My membership will soon be in the post and after studying the outcome of the two-day friendly match against Middlesex I am looking forward to a promotion charge in the all-important County Championship.
The club is nearing the end of a transitional phase and the youngsters coming through are showing real signs of emerging this summer and competing at the forefront in all competitions.
With a draw on the field, and some fine individual performances from bowlers Gareth Batty (4-16 in the second innings) and Stuart Meaker (3-38, second innings), things have started in fairly good shape. The batting will need to improve, but we have Ramps and Davies to come back and the possibility of KP making more appearances as he returns from a hernia operation.
The Brown Caps' bowling ranks actually seem limitless right now, Tremlett, Andre Nel, de Bruyn will all step up at some point - but what a season this could be for Jade Dernbach, after making the England performance squad for this season the 25-year-old will be in the spotlight.
If Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown can harness Jade's pace, he could be the real breakthrough player this year, and also a fan favourite. After all, we all love a bit of raw pace.
As ECB National Selector Geoff Miller put it: "Jade is a player whose progress we have been monitoring closely for some time and he has continued to impress the selectors over the winter with his performances for England Lions and the England Performance Programme.”
Jade will be joined by three other Brown Caps in the squad - Steven Davies, KP, and Chris Tremlett
Surrey now take on Hampshire at the Rose Bowl this week in another warm up game. Similar squad but with the addition of teenage prodigy George Edwards from Spencer CC, be interesting to see how he gets on...
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