Rory Burns’ Surrey created history in 2024, becoming the first team since 1968 to win three successive County Championship titles!
Having constructed and consolidated their lead at the top throughout the summer, the Three Feathers put the cherry on the top in the final leg of the season.
Burns doubles up as Surrey return to red-ball cricket with a bang!
Surrey v Lancashire – August 22-25: Surrey won by an innings and 63 runs
Nearly two months had passed since the previous Championship outing but Surrey slotted straight back into form against a Lancashire side surveying the shifting ground below them. The match was the first Surrey home match since the passing of Graham Thorpe. Both sets of players wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed before play on the first day of the match.
Sent in by Rory Burns, they struggled against Surrey’s pace attack, led by Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark. Rocky Flintoff – second son of former England all-rounder Andrew and becoming Lancashire’s youngest ever player at 16 years and 137 days – shaped well before slicing the first ball after lunch off Dan Worrall, Sai Sudharsan taking a fine low catch at backward point.
Matty Hurst played boldly before becoming victim of a fine catch at leg slip by Conor McKerr at leg-slip, the tall pacer going on to collect two late wickets on his first Championship appearance of the season. Sam Curran and Will Jacks were also back wearing their brown Surrey caps and wearing whites.
Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley played confidently in reaching 83-0 before bad light removed 15.4 overs, underlining where the visitors missed out, and the captain made the most of improved conditions on day two in progressing steadily. Supported by Ben Foakes in ideal fashion for a match-defining alliance worth 197 for the fourth wicket, Burns batted seven-and-a-half hours to make the highest score of his career, finally departing for 227 to a good running catch by wicketkeeper Hurst. George Balderson and Tom Aspinwall’s three-wicket hauls were reward for persistence.
Only 10.1 overs were possible on day three, persistent rain testing the groundstaff, but Clark bowled Luke Wells to get something out of the long wait. And dry weather for the final day enabled Surrey to complete the match in less than two sessions. Worrall made the decisive breakthrough, Jennings shouldering arms as the ball hit his off-stump and Flintoff’s firm push at the next ball, an outswinger, pounced upon by Foakes.
Hurst’s hearty resilience was poorly supported by his colleagues and his clip to midwicket opened the way for McKerr to mop up the tail with a four-wicket burst.
It was the first of three successive innings defeats for Lancashire, Surrey going 35 points clear of the chasing pack.
Burns and Sudharsan score centuries in run-fest at Nottingham
Nottinghamshire v Surrey – August 29-September 1: Match drawn
An unresponsive Trent Bridge pitch – and the return of the Kookaburra ball – meant forcing a result was always likely to be difficult.
Rory Burns maintained the form which had earned him a double-century against Lancashire, aided by contributions from Ryan Patel and Will Jacks, although the champions were kept in check by a remarkable first day of Championship cricket for off-spinner Farhan Ahmed. His 28 overs yielded 4-69, which included three Test players in Burns – who had won the toss – Jacks and Ben Foakes, an even finer feat given he had becoming Nottinghamshire’s youngest first-class player at 16 and 189 days.
Younger brother of England leg-spinner Rehan, Farhan continued to hamper Surrey’s efforts to push on during day two although he could not prevent Indian left-hander Sai Sudharsan making his first century for Surrey to confirm the excellent impression he had already made.
Narrowly missing a third batting point was the main disappointment for the visitors, Sudharsan last out as he became Ahmed’s’ seventh and final victim, a partnership of 101 with Jordan Clark mainly responsible for reaching 525.
Although Clark disposed of Ben Slater speedily, Haseeb Hameed and Freddie McCann confirmed that Surrey’s bowlers would be pushed to take 20 wickets in the match, before two late wickets for Will Jacks left Notts at 144-3 overnight.
Left-hander McCann, playing only his third first-class innings, impressed greatly in making his maiden century on day three, his 154 coming from 268 deliveries and enjoying a fourth wicket alliance with Jack Haynes worth 152. Jacks found some assistance from the pitch, as had Ahmed, in ploughing away to improve on the 6-164 he had taken on his Test debut in Pakistan in 2022.
South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verrayne, signed just before the match, underlined his worth with a half-century which effectively saved the follow-on, Surrey left with a lead of 120 and heading into the final day at 13-1.
Their efforts to inflate that advantage in time to bowl out Notts a second time were hampered once more by Ahmed, the hosts having little alternative to bowl spin in the gloomy light anyway and the youngster relishing the opportunity by adding three more victims. His haul of 10-247 from 76.4 overs overall made him the youngest ever bowler to take 10 wickets in a first-class match in England, replacing WG Grace. It was left-armer Liam Patterson-White who claimed the lion’s share of wickets in the second innings with 5-96, Burns’s 71 adding to his own rich run haul of recent days while only Patel and Sudharsan of the rest could reach double-figures.
Surrey’s declaration in the afternoon left Notts to make a notional 298, Hameed and Slater batting out the game in a fair degree of comfort.
That draw cut the lead at the top of the table to 24 points with three rounds remaining.
An all-time County Championship classic at Taunton
Somerset v Surrey – September 9-12: Somerset won by 111 runs
Somerset had taken over as Surrey’s chief challengers in the final weeks of the campaign and the trip to Taunton always threatened to be a tough one for a visiting side missing both Test and white ball England players.
The champions bolstered their side by recalling Tom Curran for his first Championship match in two years and signing Bangladesh’s Shakib Al-Hasan, one of his country’s finest player in their international history.
It was Kemar Roach, back for his second spell of the summer, who made the early impact, bowling Lewis Goldsworthy with the second ball of the match, but Somerset took advantage of winning the toss by batting through the first day. Much of that, after early contributions from Archie Vaughan and Tom Abell, was down to Tom Banton’s superb 132, hitting 16 fours and a six, and Surrey were grateful to Shakib for effectively sewing up one end as he got through 33.5 overs. At 305-5, the hosts appeared in complete control but Dan Worrall broke through with the second new ball and Shakib cleaned up to finish them off for 317 in the final over of the day.
A second day restricted to 70 overs by rain saw Surrey producing a resolute reply at 169-3, Ryan Patel and Ben Geddes half-centuries leading the way so that the deficit was worked down to 148, a vital consideration given the pitch would be offering increasing turn as the match went on. That all three wickets had fallen to 18-year-old off-spinner Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael, was a sure indication.
Their hard work was in danger of being undone by a decline to 228-8 on the third day but Somerset’s hopes of a substantial advantage were dashed by a typically feisty assault by Curran. Reminding everyone of his all-round credentials, Curran – aided by tailenders Roach and Worrall – lashed six fours and eight sixes as he transformed the match and earned his side an unlikely lead of four runs. Part-time spinner Lewis Goldsworthy’s only over was deposited for 18 but it was the work of Vaughan (6-102) and Jack Leach (4-105) which offered danger signs for later.
The home side’s prospects had been damaged by Banton injuring his ankle playing football in the warm-up and were looking increasingly grim when they limped to 122-8 and then 153-9, Banton hobbling out and adding 31 with Craig Overton before the close.
Surrey still looked favourites if they could dislodge the final pair quickly but – in between rain showers – stretched their partnership to a match-changing 71, Banton’s six fours including a remarkable reverse-sweep off Shakib despite his lack of mobility. Eventually the left-armer got through Banton’s defences to claim 5-96 and leaving Overton one short of his half-century.
Needing 221 and with the ball fizzing, a run chase was never feasible but Somerset had to wait until the 22nd over for a breakthrough, Vaughan having Burns caught behind and bowling Patel three balls later. Surrey were soon 46-3 but Dominic Sibley and Ben Foakes batted calmly for 29 overs to the extent that a draw was looking increasingly likely with time running out.
That all changed when Leach removed Foakes and then Sibley in consecutive overs, Shakib following almost instantly. Surrey collapsed, fielders crowded around the bat and the crowd baying. When Curran inside-edged onto his stumps, Vaughan had his 10th victim of the match and quickly added Cam Steel. There were just five minutes remaining when Leach had Jordan Clark caught behind and then trapped Worrall two balls later, earning Somerset victory by 111 runs and closing the gap at the top to a nervy eight points.
Surrey bounce back in style to confirm Championship triumph
Surrey v Durham – September 17-19: Surrey won by 10 wickets
Home sweet home.
After the drama of Taunton and disappointment of Vitality Blast finals day, Surrey could get back to the task they had set themselves in the spring.
A six-pronged seam attack greeted Durham for the first Championship match between the counties since 2016, which included the Curran brothers lining up alongside each other after a gap of six years. Not surprisingly, Rory Burns opted to bowl first and at 134-5 midway through the afternoon he could be reasonably happy. But the hosts were held up by a sparky partnership between Colin Ackermann and Bas De Leede, the latter’s 36 punctuated by eight boundaries. Ackermann garnered what support he could from the lower order before Dan Worrall’s double strike with the second new ball polished off Durham for 262.
With spectators enjoying probably the best temperatures of the four-day campaign, Burns – passing 1,000 runs for the season in his unbeaten 40 – and Dominic Sibley took the hosts to 52-0 from 12 overs.
Depleted by international calls and other absences, Durham were relying on a youthful attack to get the back into the match which included James Minto, their youngest-ever player at 16 and 296 days. The left-armer showed some impressive pace although it was the more experienced De Leede who proved the greatest threat.
It was Chemar Holder who made the initial breakthrough, bowling Burns with a beauty to start a slide of three wickets in five overs, Ben Foakes helping Ryan Patel for see off the immediate threat in a stand of 47. At 169-5 the home side still had much to do and relied on Patel, who found useful allies in Tom Curran and Jordan Clark. Having been dropped on 19, he was given another expensive let off on 70 and made Durham pay dearly. Tom Lawes joined him in a fine eighth-wicket alliance worth 92 in just 19 overs, scoring his second first-class half-century along the way, Patel’s ton his second of the season and once again invaluable.
Durham, now facing a deficit of 153, lost nightwatch Callum Parkinson to the first ball and then sent in another, Daniel Hogg, who just survived the over but little longer the next morning. With Jordan Clark bowling Alex Lees and Dan Worrall’s three victims, Durham were in dreadful trouble at 18-4, Emilio Gay – on loan from Northants pending his permanent move – gutsing out his 48 to prevent them sinking altogether. Ackermann, now down at number eight because of the two nightwatchs, once again battled hard but Sam Curran’s four wickets made short work of the resistance.
Surrey needed just 25, with four sessions of the match remaining, Burns tucking the winning runs away with a typically neat push through the onside, having to wait until Somerset had been beaten at Old Trafford the following morning before confirmation that the Championship
Three-peat complete!
Essex v Surrey – September 26-29: Match drawn.
With the title won, there were six changes for the final match and three of the side – Josh Blake, Ollie Sykes and Yousef Majid – were making their first-class debuts, a new first for Surrey in the County Championship.
Wicketkeeper Blake was soon in action, making a fine diving catch to pouch Robin Das off a Tom Lawes outswinger. It proved the only breakthrough, Dean Elgar – passing his 1,000 runs for the season – and Tom Westley moving on comfortably at 116-1 until nine minutes before lunch. At that point the heavens opened and it remained that way for the rest of the day and the whole of the second, the groundstaff pumping off thousands of litres of water to get the ground ready for an immediate resumption on the third.
The pair picked up where they had left off, adding a record 253 for the second wicket for Essex against Surrey, despite Elgar tweaking the calf muscle in his left leg which restricted his running and left him in considerable discomfort. Westley’s 135, including 25 fours and a six, ended when he became Majid’s maiden first-class victim by picking out Lawes at long-on, Matt Critchley joined with the South African for a stand worth 168, becoming the third centurion of the innings.
Elgar’s appetite was finally sated when he reached 182 – batting 388 minutes – before becoming one of three victims in seven balls for Ryan Patel. Surrey’s inexperienced attack did not lack for perseverance, James Taylor thoroughly deserving two late wickets.
Essex claimed full batting points and left Surrey 13 overs to bat on the third evening, losing Rory Burns along the way.
Batting out the day was the agenda for Surrey on the final day of the season and achieving that owed much to Dominic Sibley’s third century of the season, a wobble of three wickets inside 10 overs during the morning briefly causing concern. Dan Lawrence, back at his old ground, helped Sibley to settle things down again, the opener stroking 17 fours and a six. Blake, who had scored a century at Chelmsford in the Metro Bank Cup, reinforced that excellent impression and Lawes took the opportunity of more batting time against an attack keen to get through their overs as quickly as possible so that the season could come to a close.
