County Championship preview: Surrey

2009 in a nutshell Chris Adams, the director of coaching, says he used 27 players last year, not because of injury but "more the necessary pain of finding out who could play the game properly." That list did not apparently include Jonathan Batty, Scott Newman or James Benning, who have all moved on after a truly disastrous year. LV County Championship Division 2 7th Pro 40 Division 2 2nd Friends Provident Trophy Eliminated in group stages Twenty20 Cup Eliminated in group stages What they'll be playing in this season LV County Championship Division 2 Clydesdale Bank Pro40 Group A Friends Provident Twenty20 – South Captain Rory Hamilton-Brown. The great gamble, though Adams insists he doesn't see it that way. Only 22, Hamilton-Brown's captained Surrey's second XI in his first spell at the club, and England U19s in 2007. He will need to be a natural as he has had no opportunity to nurture his talents in the mere nine first-class matches he has played so far. Director of coaching Chris Adams. The fanfare that accompanied his appointment faded over the course of a 2009 campaign in which Surrey won just one championship match. Has complained that he inherited a "dysfunctional squad", and clearly struggled to get on with some of his players. There has been a winter cull, however, and this season is a new start with several fresh faces. Ins and outs In Steven Davies (Worcestershire), Gareth Batty (Worcestershire), Piyush Chawla (Sussex), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sussex), Chris Tremlett (Hampshire) Out Alex Tudor (REL), Pedro Collins (Middlesex), Jon Batty (Gloucestershire), Scott Newman (Middlesex), Mark Butcher (RET), Jimmy Ormond (REL), Chris Murtagh (REL), Murtaza Hussain (REL), James Benning (Leicestershire) Overseas players Pinched Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla from Sussex, but that plan could yet be scotched by the BCCI, who have recalled him to the international squad for the world Twenty20 and, possibly, beyond. Swing bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum, of Pakistan, has been signed as cover. Australia bowler Andrew Symonds joins for the Twenty20. Key player There is some fellow by the name of Ramprakash who has been tipped as a likely prospect to score a run or two in the middle order. Hamilton-Brown aside, the most interesting addition could well be Chris Tremlett. Adams will be hoping he has finally found the spearhead his seam attack needs. Ashes factor Not so long ago Surrey seemed to be able to field entire XIs of England internationals, these days, though, they have only a single player who merits a passing mention in Steve Davies. There have some likely lads and an old hand or two, each group as unlikely as the other to feature in the winter. Prediction for 2010 Fourth in Division 2. Adams has spent all his time so far at the county working his way back to ground zero. Two days before the season started, the club weren't sure who was going to open the batting, or the bowling, or whether their overseas player would turn up. It may all click into place, but the odds seem against it.