Cricket: Surrey’s focus switches to Royal London Cup action in August

Although the County Championship title race remains fascinatingly poised, with Hampshire showing they still fancy their chances of reeling in leaders Surrey, four-day cricket now makes way for the 50-over Royal London Cup.

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Nat Sciver believes the recent ODI and T20 series whitewash against South Africa sets England up nicely for the Commonwealth Games.

“We’re now settled in terms of how we want to play – to be aggressive in the powerplay, with bat and ball, so there’s less pressure in the middle overs,” said the former Surrey and South East Stars all-rounder.

While Sciver acknowledges Australia will be the team to beat in Birmingham, she firmly believes the momentum is with England.

“It’s a really exciting time for us,” said the 29-year-old, who, following her marriage to England team-mate Katherine Brunt, in May, now plays her domestic cricket with Northern Diamonds, alongside Brunt.

“We learnt a lot from the disappointment of losing the final of last winter’s 50-over World Cup, we’ve taken it on board and what’s most exciting is everyone’s contributing.

“This is our best chance of beating Australia. Playing Australia is all about mindset, and being able to make the big plays under pressure, as we’ve just showed against South Africa.”

For Surrey’s men, the month of August means the 50-over Royal London Cup, minus the Currans, Foakes, Jacks, Jordan, Overton, Pope, Roy and Topley, as well as six other first-team regulars, due to the combination of the Men’s Hundred and England Test calls.

The Oval outfit defied similar odds by reaching the semi-finals of the competition last summer,, and there’s no sign of their production line drying up, with batter Ben Geddes, 20, and all-rounder Tom Lawes, 19, pictured top, the latest to catch the eye.

Along with Conor McKerr, Ryan Patel and Cameron Steel they will make up the core of the South Londoners’ 50-over line-up.

McKerr limbered up for the Royal London by making a difference with bat as well as ball in Surrey’s last championship game until September 12.

Omitted from the squad for Warwickshire’s visit to the Oval, the 24-year-old fast bowler was preparing to go out for the day with his wife Paige when he answered the 10:15am call to replace Dan Worrall, who picked up a last-minute shoulder injury.

Two hours later, McKerr took the field and immediately picked up the wicket of Chris Benjamin.

“Sometimes the best way is being thrown in like that, because you just go out there and concentrate on doing what comes naturally,” said McKerr, who later forged a useful ninth-wicket partnership with Jamie Overton to hand his side a 61-run first innings lead.

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD