Freak injury: Ben Foakes, rated England’s best wicketkeeper, has been ruled out of Surrey’s next County Championship game due to a strain suffered when bowling against Essex
HOOK’S SHOT: The county side’s pre-season high expectations fell flat on a succession of flat wickets in the opening month, writes MARCUS HOOK
PLUS: England women’s T20 World Cup call-up for teenager Corteen-Coleman
While Surrey continue to pull in the crowds, the big question, on the evidence of the season’s opening exchanges, is whether the south Londoners are really equipped to notch up a fourth County Championship title in five years.
The batting isn’t the problem, it’s the pitches and, possibly, the bowling, which appears to be lacking the necessary spark.
Last weekend’s clash with Essex at The Oval, on a flat pitch, petered out to a high-scoring draw with bat dominating ball, in keeping with Surrey’s first two red-ball outings. The match produced a 21st Century attendance record for a championship game – 15,544 across the four days. The previous high was the 14,982 that rocked up for the corresponding fixture last summer.
To lend some context, just 4,245 spectators attended Northants’ seven home championship matches in 2025, while the red-ball games at Leicester averaged just over 1,000.
The weather helps. In spite of the ECB’s attempts to kill off the County Championship by consigning it to the book-ends of the schedule, April has, once again, been blessed with glorious sunshine.
The Oval caters for all, whether one’s intentions are work, rest or play – facilities to work from home, free entry after 4pm, the chance to see top-flight action (14 of the 22 players on show last weekend were current or former internationals), the opportunity to come on to the outfield during lunch and tea, plus, judging by the hubbub, a convivial atmosphere.
Those completing the London Marathon were also offered two free tickets for days three and four. Because as Surrey know all too well, having recently claimed the crown three years in a row, the County Championship is a marathon, not a sprint.
Stand-in stump man: Jamie Smith seems set to deputise for injured Foakes
Bowling a side out twice is nearly impossible on the surfaces Rory Burns’ men have been expected to play on so far. While draws reduce the chances of relegation significantly, Surrey need to start winning games if they’re to challenge for the title again.
When you concede first innings totals of 544 (at Edgbaston against Warwickshire), 691 (v Leicestershire) and 409 (Essex) – all of them built on three-figure opening partnerships – the best any side can hope for is a draw.
The pitches have lacked both pace and movement. Even seeing the ball “reverse” when it is 40 to 60 overs old seems to be going out of the county game.
But as flat as the pitches have proved, you still need to get your head down.
Ben Foakes (288 championship runs at an average of 96.00) remains, for me, Surrey’s most adaptable with the bat, not to mention one of the best wicketkeepers England has ever produced.
Yet Foakes will be missing from the XI that takes on Sussex at The Oval, starting tomorrow, due to a freak injury he suffered on Monday, when the wicketkeeper-batsman was bowling.
As reported in the Telegraph: “Shortly before hands were shaken on a dull draw with Essex… Foakes bowled two overs of seam off a long run-up… It is understood that Foakes, 33, suffered an injury in the process and faces a spell on the sidelines.
“A full prognosis of the injury, which is thought to be to his torso, is being sought, but Foakes will miss at least one match.”
Still hope: Ollie Pope’s back to best batting form
Surrey, of course, have the England wicketkeeper, Jamie Smith, on hand to take over behind the stumps.
Old Whitgiftian Smith (401 runs at an average of 80.20) has oozed class since being elevated to No3 in Surrey’s order, while Dan Lawrence (322 at 80.50) has been pretty on the eye, Ollie Pope (291 at 72.75) effective and Dom Sibley pretty effective.
Sibley’s approach to batting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there are few in the game more capable of booking themselves in for breakfast.
Pope’s return to the England fold requires more of the same, namely a string of high scores across the entirety of the campaign.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve felt at my very best,” says Pope who, at 28, has already played 64 Tests. “But there’s a stubborn side to me that finds a way to get through the challenging bits.”
In the absence of Dan Worrall, whose road back to full fitness is proving longer than anyone anticipated, Surrey’s bowling averages are currently best viewed by peering through the gaps between one’s fingers. That said, Jordan Clark and Matt Fisher have been hindered by dropped catches.
Surrey meet Sussex with the south-coasters in financial crisis. Sussex reported a £1.3million operating loss in 2024-2025, which led to them being placed under special measures by the England and Wales Cricket Board. An anticipated cost-cutting exercise puts a number of their players in the shop window, but it will be Surrey who will need to impress, and notch up their first championship win of the season.
A bit of a whirl: Tilly Corteen-Coleman saqys even she was surprised at her England call-up for the women’s T20 World Cup
Slow left-arm bowler Tilly Corteen-Coleman, at just 18 years old, is the surprise inclusion in the England squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, alongside Surrey teammates Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey.
“Honestly, not one part of me thought I’d be in that squad, it’s so competitive,” said Corteen-Coleman. “I just went straight to my parents, ran in jumping up and down to tell them. It’s crazy, I can’t really remember because of how quickly it all happened and how excited I was.”
Surrey’s women are top of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after four matches, the only blot on their copybook being last Saturday’s 136-run loss to Somerset at Taunton.
“We’re still in a good position and we’ll still be strong when our international players depart,” said Surrey’s one-day captain Kira Chathli.
“The game was taken away from us by Heather Knight (103) and Dani Gibson. We’ll probably look back and kick ourselves. We scored 380 the other week, so we still fancied our chances on a good wicket. But we weren’t able to capitalise on a number of good starts.”
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