Surrey County Cricket Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Surrey County Cricket Club

Nickname(s)	Brown Caps
One Day name	Surrey
Personnel
Captain	Rory Burns
One Day captain	Rory Burns (List A) Chris Jordan (T20)
Coach	Gareth Batty
Chief executive	Steve Elworthy
Team information
Colours	First-class:          List A and T20:
Founded	1845
Home ground	The Oval, Kennington, London
Capacity	25,500
History
First-class debut	MCC in 1846 at The Oval
Championship wins	22 outright and 1 shared
Second Division Championship wins	2
CB40/Pro40/Sunday League wins	3
FP Trophy/NatWest Trophy wins	1
Twenty20 Cup wins	1
Benson & Hedges Cup wins	3
First-class T20

Surrey's traditional first-class kit.

Surrey's home ground, The Oval, with its famous gasholders.

The Surrey County Cricket Club (often called Surrey CCC) is a professional cricket team in England. It is one of eighteen teams that play in the top level of English county cricket. The club represents the historic county of Surrey, which includes parts of South London today. Cricket teams from Surrey have been around since 1709. The current club was officially started in 1845 and has been a top-level team ever since. Surrey has played in every major cricket competition in England, including the County Championship, which began in 1890.

The club's main home ground is The Oval in Kennington, South London. They have played there continuously since 1845. Surrey also plays some games each year at Woodbridge Road in Guildford.

Surrey has had three very successful periods in its history. They were known as "Champion County" seven times in the 1850s. They won the title eight times between 1887 and 1895, including the first official County Championship in 1890. From 1952 to 1958, they won seven titles in a row! In 1955, Surrey won 23 of their 28 matches, which is a record for the County Championship. Surrey has won the County Championship 22 times outright and shared it once. Only Yorkshire has won more. Their most recent win was in 2024.

The club's badge, used since 1915, shows the Prince of Wales's feathers. This is because the Prince of Wales owns the land where The Oval is located. Surrey's traditional color is chocolate brown. Players often wear brown caps and helmets, which is why the club is sometimes called the 'Brown Caps'.

History of Surrey Cricket

Early Days of Cricket in Surrey

Cricket likely started from bat and ball games played by children in southeast England long ago. The first mention of cricket in writing comes from 1597. A person named John Derrick said that as a child, he "did runne and play there at Creckett". In 1611, King James I gave the land where The Oval is now to his son, Prince Henry. This is why the Prince of Wales's feathers are on the club's badge today.

Cricket became popular in Surrey during the 1600s. The first known inter-county match was in 1709 between Kent and Surrey. Surrey continued to play against other county teams from then on.

Founding the Club (1845–1864)

Surrey County Cricket Club was founded on August 18, 1845. About 100 people from different cricket clubs in Surrey met and decided to form the new club. They got a lease for The Oval, which used to be a market garden. The first game at The Oval was played in 1845.

Surrey's first official top-level match was against the MCC in May 1846 at The Oval. The next month, they played their first inter-county match against Kent and won! By 1847, the club was in debt, but they managed to survive. In 1848, Prince Albert helped prevent construction on The Oval, saving the ground.

In 1855, Surrey got a new 21-year lease for The Oval. The club then had a very successful ten years, being named "Champion County" seven times between 1850 and 1859, and again in 1864. In 1857, they won all nine of their matches! This was a time for great players like William Caffyn and HH Stephenson. In 1862, an event during a match between Surrey and England led to the start of overarm bowling in cricket.

Challenges and Comeback (1866–1899)

After a great season in 1864, Surrey struggled in the late 1860s. They had trouble finding good bowlers. From 1866 to 1882, Surrey lost more games than they won. In 1871, they didn't win a single county match, which was the only time this happened until 2008.

Things started to improve in 1880 when John Shuter became captain. New talented players like George Lohmann joined the team. By 1885, Surrey was challenging for the unofficial "Champion County" title. They then won the official County Championship titles from 1890 to 1892 under John Shuter. After a tough year in 1893, Kingsmill Key took over as captain. He led Surrey to more titles in 1894, 1895, and 1899. Key players during this time included batsman Bobby Abel and bowlers George Lohmann, Bill Lockwood, and Tom Richardson. In 1899, Bobby Abel scored an amazing 357 runs not out, helping Surrey reach a huge total of 811 runs. Both of these scores are still club records today!

The Jack Hobbs Era (1900–1939)

The early 1900s saw a dip in Surrey's success. They won the County Championship only once in the next fifty years, in 1914. In 1915, the Prince of Wales allowed Surrey to use his Prince of Wales's feathers on their club badge.

Surrey's most famous player during this time was Jack Hobbs. He started playing for the county in 1905. Hobbs played until 1934 and scored more runs (61,760) and more centuries (199) in top-level cricket than any other player ever! To honor him, the Jack Hobbs Gates were built at The Oval.

Between the two World Wars, Surrey often had a good team, especially in batting. However, their bowling was sometimes not as strong. In 1938, Surrey played a home match away from The Oval for the first time, at Woodbridge Road in Guildford. Cricket stopped after 1939 because of World War II.

The Golden Age (1945–1958)

From 1948 to 1959, Surrey was the best county team in England. They finished first or second in the County Championship in 10 out of 12 seasons. They were runners-up in 1948, shared the championship in 1950, and then won seven titles in a row from 1952 to 1958! Their wins were usually by a large margin.

Their success came from a very strong bowling attack. This included Test bowler Alec Bedser and the amazing spin bowlers Tony Lock and Jim Laker. The Oval pitches were good for spin bowling, which helped them a lot. The team also had great leadership from captain Stuart Surridge, who won the title in all five years he was captain. The team was also excellent at fielding. They had strong batsmen too, like Peter May and Ken Barrington.

Modern Era (1959–Present)

After their golden age, Surrey won the County Championship only once in the next forty years, in 1971. However, they had more success in shorter forms of the game. In 1969, Surrey signed their first overseas player, Pakistani bowler Intikhab Alam. Other famous overseas players included Sylvester Clarke and Waqar Younis.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Surrey had another period of great success. Under captain Adam Hollioake, they won the County Championship in 1999, 2000, and 2002. They also won the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1997 and 2001, and the first ever Twenty20 Cup in 2003. This was a tough time for the club as Adam Hollioake's younger brother, Ben, sadly passed away in 2002. In the same year, Ali Brown set a world record by scoring 268 runs in a one-day match against Glamorgan.

In 2005, Surrey was moved down to Division Two of the Championship. They quickly returned to Division One in 2006 but were moved down again in 2008. In 2007, Surrey set another world record in one-day cricket by scoring 496 runs for 4 wickets in 50 overs against Gloucestershire. Ali Brown again top-scored with 176 runs from just 97 balls.

In 2011, Surrey's luck changed. They returned to Division One of the County Championship and also won the CB40 competition. The 2012 season was sad due to the passing of young batsman Tom Maynard.

Under new leaders Alec Stewart and Graham Ford, Surrey won the Division Two title in 2015. In 2018, under captain Rory Burns, Surrey dominated the Championship and won the title with two matches to spare. Surrey won the County Championship again in 2022 and 2023.

Club Branding

Since it started, Surrey's official color has been chocolate brown. In traditional matches, Surrey players wear a brown cricket cap and brown helmets with their white uniforms. This is why they are sometimes called the 'Brown Caps'.

Surrey's badge is a brown shield with white Prince of Wales's feathers and the club's name. The feathers were added in 1915 because the Prince of Wales owns the land where The Oval is. The feathers on the badge also show the number 1845, which is the year the club was founded.

For shorter, one-day games, Surrey's teams have used different names and colors. They were called Surrey Lions and Surrey Brown Caps in the past. Now, they are simply called Surrey. Their one-day uniforms have used colors like black, blue, brown, gold, silver, and green. Currently, players wear mostly black with bright blue for one-day matches.

Home Grounds

The JM Finn Stand at the Vauxhall End of The Oval ground.

Since it was formed, Surrey has played most of its home matches at The Oval. This stadium can hold 25,500 people. It is the third largest cricket ground in England. The club first leased The Oval in 1845 from the Duchy of Cornwall, and they still do today.

The Oval is a very important place for Test cricket matches for the England cricket team. It usually hosts the last Test match of the English summer in late August or early September.

Surrey also plays some matches each year at Woodbridge Road in Guildford. This ground can hold 4,500 people. It is known as an 'out-ground' and hosts one County Championship match and one one-day match each season. All other home games are played at The Oval.

Rivalry with Middlesex

Surrey has a big rivalry with Middlesex. This is called the London derby because both traditional counties are close to, and part of, today's Greater London. Matches between these two teams usually attract the biggest crowds of the season.

In top-level cricket, Surrey has won more of the 267 London derbies than Middlesex. However, the most common result is a draw. In one-day cricket, Middlesex has a slight lead. But in Twenty20 matches, Surrey has won 12 out of 17 games.

Club Finances

Surrey County Cricket Club usually has strong finances compared to other county teams. This is partly because The Oval hosts international Test cricket and one-day matches every year.

In 2008, Surrey made a profit of £583,000, and their membership grew to over 10,000 people. In 2009, they had record profits and income, thanks to hosting international cricket games. In 2010, the club faced some financial challenges, and some staff were let go. However, new leaders in 2011 focused on marketing The Oval.

Between 2007 and 2020, the club's income steadily grew. In 2020, Surrey was building a 95-room hotel near The Oval to bring in more money. In 2019, the club had a "record-breaking season" with profits of around £6 million and income of £40 million. This helped them prepare for the financial impact of COVID-19.

Sponsorship

The Kia Oval during an international Test Match in 2022.

Surrey's main sponsor is Kia Motors. They paid £3.5 million over five years to sponsor the team's shirts and the naming rights for The Oval, which is now called The Kia Oval. Before Kia, Brit plc and AMP Limited were main sponsors. Since 2023, Castore has been the team's kit supplier.

Players

Current Squad (as of October 2024)

• No. is the player's squad number on their shirt.
• means the player has played for their country.
•  *  means the player has received a county cap (a special award from the club).

No.	Name	Nat	Birth date	Batting style	Bowling style	Notes
Batters
9	Will Jacks*	England	(1998-11-21) 21 November 1998 (age 26)	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	England central contract
10	Laurie Evans	England	(1987-10-12) 12 October 1987 (age 37)	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
17	Rory Burns*	England	(1990-08-26) 26 August 1990 (age 34)	Left-handed	Right-arm medium	Club captain
20	Jason Roy*	England	(1990-07-21) 21 July 1990 (age 34)	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
28	Dan Lawrence	England	(1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm off break
32	Ollie Pope*	England	(1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break	England central contract
45	Dom Sibley	England	(1995-09-05) 5 September 1995 (age 29)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break	Vice captain
54	Ollie Sykes	England	(2005-03-06) 6 March 2005 (age 20)	Left-handed	Right-arm medium
All-rounders
5	Tommy Ealham	England	(2004-03-26) 26 March 2004 (age 21)	Left-handed	Right-arm off break
16	Jordan Clark*	England	(1990-10-14) 14 October 1990 (age 34)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
26	Ryan Patel	England	(1997-10-26) 26 October 1997 (age 27)	Left-handed	Right-arm medium
30	Tom Lawes	England	(2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 22)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
34	Chris Jordan	England	(1988-10-04) 4 October 1988 (age 36)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	T20 captain
44	Cameron Steel	England	(1995-09-13) 13 September 1995 (age 29)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break
58	Sam Curran*	England	(1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 27)	Left-handed	Left-arm fast-medium	England central contract
59	Tom Curran*	England	(1995-03-12) 12 March 1995 (age 30)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
88	Jamie Overton*	England	(1994-04-10) 10 April 1994 (age 31)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast
Wicket-keepers
7	Ben Foakes*	England	(1993-02-15) 15 February 1993 (age 32)	Right-handed	—
11	Jamie Smith*	England	(2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 24)	Right-handed	—	England central contract
18	Josh Blake	England	(1998-09-18) 18 September 1998 (age 26)	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break
Bowlers
4	Matt Dunn	England	(1992-05-05) 5 May 1992 (age 33)	Left-handed	Right-arm fast
8	Daniel Worrall*	Australia	(1991-07-10) 10 July 1991 (age 33)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	UK Passport
24	Reece Topley	England	(1994-02-21) 21 February 1994 (age 31)	Right-handed	Left-arm fast-medium	England central contract
25	James Taylor	England	(2001-01-19) 19 January 2001 (age 24)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
29	Nathan Barnwell	England	(2003-02-03) 3 February 2003 (age 22)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
37	Gus Atkinson	England	(1998-01-19) 19 January 1998 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	England central contract
68	Yousef Majid	England	(2003-09-08) 8 September 2003 (age 21)	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox
—	Matthew Fisher	England	(1997-11-09) 9 November 1997 (age 27)	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium

Famous Former Players

Many great cricketers have played for Surrey. Here are some who have played 200 or more matches for the club:

Club Leaders

Club Captains

Surrey has had 41 club captains since 1846. The captain leads the team on the field. Stuart Surridge is Surrey's most successful County Championship captain. He won the title every year he was captain, from 1952 to 1956. The current club captain, since 2018, is Rory Burns. Since 2018, there has also been a separate captain for Twenty20 matches, currently Chris Jordan.

Presidents

The President is an honorary role, meaning they don't get paid. They are chosen from people who support the club. Past presidents include former Prime Minister Sir John Major and newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald. Some former players, like John Edrich, have also been President.

Chief Executives

The Chief Executive is in charge of the club's daily operations. Before 1993, this role was called the Secretary.

William Burrup, an early Secretary of Surrey CCC (1855–1872).

Directors and Managers

• Alec Stewart has been the Director of Cricket since 2014.
• Past Managers include Micky Stewart (1979-1986) and Chris Adams (2008-2013).

Coaching Staff

The Head Coach leads the team's training and strategy. The current Head Coach is Gareth Batty, who started in 2022. Other coaches since 1959 include Arthur McIntyre and Michael di Venuto.

Club Achievements

Surrey County Cricket Club has won many titles over the years:

First Team Honours

• Champion County (3) – 1864, 1887, 1888; shared (1) – 1889
• County Championship (22) – 1890, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1899, 1914, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1971, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024; shared (1) – 1950
  • Division Two (2) – 2006, 2015
• FP Trophy' (1) –' 1982
• Clydesdale Bank 40 (1) – 2011
• NatWest Pro40 League' (2) –' 1996, 2003
  • Division Two (1) – 2000
• Twenty20 Cup (1) – 2003
• Benson and Hedges Cup (3) – 1974, 1997, 2001

Second Team Honours

• Second XI Championship (6) – 1966, 1968, 1975, 1988, 1992, 2009
• Second XI Trophy (1) – 2001
• Minor Counties Cricket Championship (4) – 1939, 1950, 1954, 1955

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