27,000 at Middlesex v Surrey

[TheRey]

This isn't meant to be having a go but a genuine query - when was the last time Surrey produced a player who wasn't South African or a public schoolboy? Most of that list seem to fall into one or the other whereas Durham, Yorks etc are pretty different.

It's a pretty fair question mate, and the honest answer is I'm not sure!
I'm pretty sure Virdi doesn't fall into either category, but that's about it that said, the club is becoming more eager in getting into more schools in inner south London, so hopefully that'll change soon.

Surrey can use their resources anyway they wish-it's their money.
They have an annual turnover circa £23m and almost every penny of it for the last 10 years has been ploughed into the academy and it's slowly starting to pay dividends.
Not a very successful use of resources then but,of course, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet.

I'll rephrase - everything on the playing side is going academy based.

The rest is going on the ground - we've had hotels added, the Peter May has been done up, and were aiming to have the ground holding 40k by 2023.

Very little goes into signings - a look at our squad is all you need to see that.

Stoneman dropped last night and both him and Borthwick dropped tonight??

Or injured @TheRey ??

Rocky was dropped for Kumar, and I think Borthwick had a knock, but I'm not 100% mate.

(I've just realised I've been unintentionally hypocritical in my self-righteous rant earlier, id forgotten we go down the expensive route in T20. Focus more on proper cricket!)

 

[Parkside]

Interesting comment by Dobell on cricinfo re Stoneman
"He has been left out of Surrey's side for the last couple of T20 games and is understood to be training only against a red ball at present".
The article is confirming that Ballance has broken his finger and that Stoneman is the likely replacement as opener with Jennings at 3.
I can't see that he would be dropped by Surrey on current form so the above comment appears to have some credence.

 

[TheRey]

Best Essex last night with 8 academy graduates in the team

Moneybags.