Surrey 2003 T20 Champions
where are they now?
Jonathan Batty admits that even though they had grown up playing 20-over cricket players didn’t know what to expect from the first season of T20.
It was the biggest shake-up of county cricket for years as the ECB made a bid to win back the crowds which had been dropping in numbers.
Batty points out that the idea was met with some bewilderment in dressing rooms up and down the country, especially at the Oval.
But those soon disappeared when around 16,000 packed into the Oval to see Surrey beat arch rivals Middlesex by four wickets with four balls remaining.
Batty said: “A lot of us actually grew up playing 20-over cricket, either club games on midweek evenings or in youth cricket, so we had all played it.
“But it was a very different beast in the club environment than it turned out to be in the county stuff. We genuinely didn’t think that people would come and watch it.
“We thought, it was a ludicrous idea that thousands of people could suddenly want to come and watch a two and a half hour game.
“Our first game was against Middlesex at the Oval and 16,000 people turned up, there weren’t enough stewards on and their weren’t enough bars open.
“It was, oh wow, we might have got this slightly wrong, then we had two games at Imber Court, the Metropolitan Police ground, a lovely place but you could only get 3,5004,000 in there.
“So the marketing and money men soon decided that they weren’t going to take T20 games away from the Oval.
“We were lucky that our team was a powerful stroke-making side, filled with highly skilled bowlers as well so where tuned to one-day cricket.”
After winning all five of their group games Surrey qualified for finals day at Trent Bridge where they were to beat Gloucestershire by five runs in the semi-final.
Warwickshire were waiting in the final and they were bowled out for 115 with Jimmy Ormond taking 4-11.
In reply, an unbeaten 55 from Ali Brown helped Surrey to 119-1 in fewer than 11 overs and they were to later add the National League Division One title to their cabinet.
“During the group stages we were told to turn up for games wearing whatever we wanted,” Batty added. “We didn’t have to wear club blazers or tracksuits. So we were turning up in flip flops and shorts.
“It was a freedom that the boys really grasped and when we turned up to the final like it we got a few dodgy looks.
“That was the beauty of the Hollioake-Medlycott style of management they just worked out what would get the boys playing to their best.
“We played the second semifinal because you didn’t have so much time. If you played the first semi-final you had to wait for four or five hours.
“So we were able to hit the ground running whereas I think that Warwickshire were probably a little bit cold from having that massive break.
“I think that was a key thing for that final and we won the game quite easily in the end.” BACK ROW (LEFT-RIGHT): Keith Booth: The Yorkshireman has been the Surrey scorer since 1995 and is also a well known author of cricket books. Dale Naylor: Is now running his own physio practice DJN Physio’s in central London. Neil Walker: Has worked as a physio in cricket, rugby and football and is now working for Dale Naylor. James Benning: An all rounder was an account manager for a sportswear firm and is now business development manager for Fidelity Energy. Phil Sampson: All rounder is now working as a sales consultant for FK Sports in London. Jimmy Ormond: England bowler is now a PE teacher and also coaches cricket and rugby at Stockport Grammar School. Rikki Clarke: England allrounder who has been playing first-class cricket for Warwickshire since 2009 after leaving Derbyshire. Scott Newman: Batsman who is based in the Enfield area. A relationship director for a sports recruitment company. Also runs his own coaching business. Tim Murtagh: A seam bowler whose uncle Andy played for Hampshire. Is still playing first class cricket for Middlesex and internationally for Ireland. Ben Scott: Wicketkeeper/ batsman has been working as a personal trainer and has been a strength and conditioning coach at both Middlesex and Surrey. Keith Medlycott: The former first team coach has been cricket professional at Reed’s School, Cobham, and cricket director at Purley CC. Alan Butcher: Former England batsman. Father of Mark and Gary who went on to coach Essex before becoming Zimbabwe’s head coach. Is now based in Colchester. FRONT ROW (LEFT-RIGHT): Mark Ramprakash: An England batsman who scored prolifically in the county game. Won Strictly
Come Dancing in 2006. Went into coaching and is now the England batting coach. Ian Ward: The England batsman retired in 2005 to go into the media and is now a key member of the Sky Sports cricket team. Alex Tudor: The former England fast bowler had two spells at the Oval and is now running his own coaching company Alex Tudor Coaching. He is also a PCA ambassador. Ali Brown: England one-day international batsman is still working for the county and is currently coaching the 2nd XI at the Oval. Martin Bicknell: England seamer played for Surrey along with brother Darren. He is now chief scout at the Oval as well as head of cricket at Charterhouse School. Alec Stewart: England wicketkeeper/batsman and the son of Surrey legend Micky. Has worked in the media and is also the director of cricket at the Oval. Adam Hollioake: England all-rounder whose late brother Ben also played for Surrey. Moved to Australia where he has been involved in a property development business. Mark Butcher: England batsman was forced to retire with a knee injury in 2009 is now working in the media with Sky Sports and is musician. Graham Thorpe: The England middle order batsman is now working as lead batting coach for the ECB at Loughborough University. Ian Salisbury: Former England spinner coached Surrey and is coaching at Trinity School, Croydon. Is the assistant coach to the England disability squad. Nadeem Shahid: A batsman, born in Pakistan, is now based in Cape Town, South Africa. Is a founding partner and head of sales of ThisIsMe.com Jonathan Batty: Wicketkeeper/ batsman is the master in charge of cricket, assistant director of sport and head of geology at Eltham College.