Time to pick the side for the first match!

Brown hatters usually speculate about the selection for the first game of the season, only a month away now. There is still obviously plenty of time for disruption because of injury, Covid, resting for England etc. Anyway it is fun speculating. My hoped for line up is -

Burns (c), Smith, Amla, Pope, Patel, Foakes (w/k), Curran (S), Worrall, Moriarty, Roach, Topley.

Patel just gets in ahead of Jacks, he seemed to take a leap forward last year. We do have too long a tail which made me wonder about Clark.. I think conditions are likely to call for only one spinner and Moriarty gets the call as I fear Virdi has gone backwards recently. As I understand it we will be without Roy (bubble-weary), Jordan (IPL) and Curran (T) injured.

Let us hope for a good season and good luck Coach Batty!

Like the side but do object to the term brown hatters!

It sounds disgusting, like someone tried to take a dump whilst doing a handstand!

Can't wait for the first home game, the "ball freezer" as we know it has become an annual tradition for us - hot soup, coffee with a shot of rum with a robust red to cap it off. Don't forget the thermals.

1 17 R Burns (c)
2 26 R Patel
3 1 H Amla
4 32 O Pope
5 9 W Jacks
6 7 B Foakes (wk)
7 58 S Curran
8 59 T Curran
9 66 K Roach
10 24 R Topley
11 19 A Virdi

If all available.

Very surprised RB that you pick Patel and Jacks ahead of Smith. I went for Smith as an opener because I think he is technically fairly solid and we are desperate for some good starts. Close choice between Patel and Jacks in the middle order for me.

Tom Curran is injured and as I understand it will not be available for a while. It would not be Surrey without an injury to one of our better players.

Smith is not an opener and I am enthused by the prospect of an hour or two of middle order carnage from Jacks more than Smith.

RB wrote:1 17 R Burns (c)
2 26 R Patel
3 1 H Amla
4 32 O Pope
5 9 W Jacks
6 7 B Foakes (wk)
7 58 S Curran
8 59 T Curran
9 66 K Roach
10 24 R Topley
11 19 A Virdi

If all available.

I’m just relieved you included their squad numbers or I’d have not known who you meant

Cee Gee wrote:

RB wrote:1 17 R Burns (c)
2 26 R Patel
3 1 H Amla
4 32 O Pope
5 9 W Jacks
6 7 B Foakes (wk)
7 58 S Curran
8 59 T Curran
9 66 K Roach
10 24 R Topley
11 19 A Virdi

If all available.

I’m just relieved you included their squad numbers or I’d have not known who you meant

Once a scorer...

RB wrote:Smith is not an opener and I am enthused by the prospect of an hour or two of middle order carnage from Jacks more than Smith.

Smith will be keeping wicket because Foakes will be rested by the ECB!

Burns, Patel, Amla, Smith (WK), Pope, S Curran, Clark, C Overton, Roach, Topley, Moriarty

Alex! wrote:Burns, Patel, Amla, Smith (WK), Pope, S Curran, Clark, C Overton, Roach, Topley, Moriarty

C Overton would be my preference too.

no disrespect to the 2 previous teams picked, and I realise that this is a guessing game and until the squad is picked we wont have a clue who is available, but the one picked by Alex seems more balanced.
What I would say, though, is that if Smith has the gloves, I would prefer him to be 5th or 6th in the line up rather than 4th, but thats a personal choice, possibly by pushing Pope up to 4 or even including Jacks at 5 and dropping Clark. This line up all seems to give us plenty of bowling options, and not sure we need Clark instead of another batter
also be interesting to see what they do with Topley this season, if its going to be 1 game on, 1 off like last season

Cee Gee wrote:

Alex! wrote:Burns, Patel, Amla, Smith (WK), Pope, S Curran, Clark, C Overton, Roach, Topley, Moriarty

C Overton would be my preference too.

Yep, I would prefer that Overton too

Coatesy wrote:

Cee Gee wrote:

Alex! wrote:Burns, Patel, Amla, Smith (WK), Pope, S Curran, Clark, C Overton, Roach, Topley, Moriarty

C Overton would be my preference too.

Yep, I would prefer that Overton too

Think I’d prefer Anderson and Broad.

Oh wait.

Whatever, our options look a lot better than Englands powder puff "attack" at the moment. But Jamie Overton can't take wickets.

Burns Patel Amla Pope Jacks Smith S Curran Clark Worrall Roach Topley