Bowler Review 2012

Compared to the batsman, the bowlers have had a good season this year. They have struggled at times to finish off an innings, but that isn’t something new for us. Stuart Meaker and Gareth Batty both excelled, finishing the top two wicket takers for us, but there were some other valuable contributions. Here’s my review of how the bowlers did this year.

Gareth Batty

LVCC- 30 wickets @ 26.30

CB40- 14 wickets @ 17.64

FLT20- 11 wickets @ 14.73

This season was by far Gareth’s best for the club. Picking up a total of 55 wickets overall, as well as leading the side for half of the season after Hamilton-Brown gave up the captaincy. He may not pick up hatfuls of wickets, but as you can see from the figures above, he has been consistent in all forms of the game this year. His effort, desire, commitment and leadership are unquestionable, making him, in my opinion, a perfect role model for any aspiring cricketer. Definitely my player of the season, and I hope he gets the captaincy full time next year.

Jade Dernbach

LVCC- 19 wickets @ 27.47

CB40- 13 wickets @ 22.76

FLT20- 3 wickets @ 13.00

Surrey fans didn’t see as much of Jade Dernbach this season as they would have liked, with him getting injured halfway through the year, combined with his increasing success in the England limited overs sides. Whenever he did play for us, he brought his passion and desire, which he has in abundance, but didn’t really fire in the Championship, picking up best figures of 3-39. However, his skills in List A cricket are sensational, becoming one of the most talked about bowlers in the International game, and he has now headed to Sri Lanka for the World T20, before ODI’s in India starting December.

Matthew Dunn

LVCC- 1 wicket @ 50.00

Matt Dunn struggled with fitness and form this season, having an indifferent time of it in the Second X1, and due to their being serious competition for places in the seamer ranks, didn’t play the amount of games for the first team that he would have liked to have done. He finally got a game in the last match of the season, picking up 1 wicket in 10 rather expensive overs. His contract is up at the end of the season, and I hope Adams gives him another chance to prove what he has got.

George Edwards

LVCC- 5 wickets @ 36.80

The tall, quick, Pemberton Greenish graduate, George Edwards, exploded onto the scene at New Road earlier this year, picking up figures of 4-44 in his first championship game of the season. He only played one further game after that, but it reinforces the fact that we have seam bowlers coming out of our ears at the moment, and it looks like George is going to follow in the footsteps of Dernbach and Meaker, and become a first team regular in the next couple of years.

Murali Kartik

LVCC- 27 wickets @ 22.11

CB40- 11 wickets @ 19.27

FLT20- 7 wickets @ 25.57

The Indian spinner had a productive spell with us after arriving at the end of May, following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League. Ok, he didn’t set the world alight, but he gradually got better as the season went on, becoming almost unplayable at times in the CB40, before helping to bowl us to victory in the final two home games of the season. He averaged over 50 in the Championship with Somerset last year with the ball, so we have certainly seen a better Kartik than they did. I’m not sure if we will see him next year, as I think Adams wants to bring in an overseas batsman, but as we have seen over the last couple of seasons, a quality spinner towards the end of the season is a massive bonus.

Jon Lewis

LVCC- 31 wickets @ 31.61

CB40- 4 wickets @ 49.25

After the move from his beloved Gloucestershire at the end of last season, Jon Lewis had a fantastic start to the season with the ball, as well as the bat, taking a fifer on his second appearance for the club at Lord’s, and for a short time, being our leading scorer in the Championship. However, he was given a break over the T20 period in June and July, and when he returned, he looked rusty. He failed to get the purchase out of the pitch, and through the air, that he had done earlier in the season, and only picked up a handful of wickets in the final half of the season. He still has one year left on his contract, so I would presume he will be their next year, but I don’t want him to get in the way of the development of Edwards and Dunn etc.

Tim Linley

LVCC- 16 wickets @ 29.00

After his wonderful season in the Second Division last year, The Viscount only played a handful of games in the Championship this season. Surrey fans were left bemused, especially when an unproven Edwards was given the nod over the leading wicket taker of last season. He did manage to get a five wicket haul, in the penultimate game of the season against Notts, helping us to gain survival. He still has time left on his contract, but unless Adams gives him assurances that he will play next year, he make seek to go elsewhere, with plenty of Division Two clubs likely to be interested if he becomes available.

Stuart Meaker

LVCC- 44 wickets @ 22.57

CB40- 9 wickets @ 21.00

FLT20- 4 wickets @ 25.25

Another great year for Stuart Meaker in a Surrey shirt. He backed up his performance in Division Two last year, by another very good season in Division One, as he is quickly becoming the first name on the teamsheet in 4 day cricket. He has gained further control in List A cricket also, going at just 4 an over in the CB40, and a call into the England set up cannot be far away. He didn’t play every game in the Championship this year, as he was injured for one or two, missed a couple due to Lions duty, and was just left out as conditions “didn’t suit his bowling”. He has recently signed a new 3 year contract, and the more we see of Meaker over the next few years, the better we will be.

 

Dirk Nannes

FLT20- 4 wickets @ 51.25

After his successful spell with us in 2011, Nannes returned for this year half the player he was last. He struggled to find a consistent line and length, and claimed only 4 wickets in total, in what was a difficult T20 campaign for us this year. He looked very rusty when he turned up, as he hadn’t played cricket for 3 months, and when you are a T20 specialist and haven’t played any T20 for a while, there was always going to be a problem.

Chris Tremlett

LVCC- 1 wicket @ 80.00

FLT20- 7 wickets @ 16.14

After he had several months off for injury, Tremlett burst back onto the scene in the T20, and he looked as good as ever. However, after playing the one Championship game against Lancashire at Guildford, he didn’t feature for the rest of the season due to a Knee injury. There is no doubting the man’s talent, but his injury record is worrying, and with his contract up at the end of the season, it isn’t certain he will be here next year. Let’s hope he can recover over the winter months, and come back fighting in 2013.