Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Curran brothers and Roy can help club be fast starters in the T20 Vitality Blast

Surrey have a week off to prepare for the T20 Vitality Blast. But after beating Gloucestershire by an innings and 47 runs to keep themselves in contention for a top two place in Group 2 of the championship, they will have half an eye on the current Somerset v Hampshire clash at Taunton.

It was brave of Surrey to employ the same pitch as the one used for the four-dayer against Middlesex, knowing it would bring the spinners into the contest much earlier.

It meant winning the toss was vital. But, with the toss won, they stamped their authority on Gloucestershire, who continue to top the group, but with just a three-point advantage.

Indeed, with the England-New Zealand Test series also underway, the season now changes emphasis.

It means Surrey will be without Rory Burns and Ollie Pope for the foreseeable; likewise Ben Foakes, who is facing three months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

It’s such cruel luck on Ben, just when he was poised to retain the wicketkeeper’s spot for England. I assume England’s representatives in the IPL will see some county action, although nothing would surprise me given the packed international schedule that lies ahead.

If Surrey are able to call upon the services of Sam Curran, Tom Curran and Jason Roy, I can see them bucking the trend of being slow starters in the Blast.

Fitness will be the key, which is why it was worrying that Sean Abbott didn’t take the field on the final day against Gloucestershire.

I hope it doesn’t mean what I think it does, because drafting in an overseas replacement can take weeks, even without covid.

Strength in the bowling department, which Surrey possess, is equally important.

It’s no coincidence that the leading four wicket-takers were all present on finals day in 2020, compared with just one of the top four run-makers.

Six of Surrey’s seven home games will be back-to-back.

Given that they didn’t lose a T20 at the Oval last summer, and, going back to 2015, they have a 69 per cent win percentage in their own backyard, the crucial phase could well be games three to eight.

The key to Surrey’s success in last year’s Blast was spin, with four exponents being deployed on occasions, including Scott Borthwick, now back at Durham as captain.

The amount of spin bowled in 2020 was the most ever in an English T20 competition.

Spinners bowled nearly 40 per cent of the total balls across the competition and the results backed it up, with just one of the top 10 economy rates in the competition being recorded by a seamer.

First up it’s Middlesex, whose form continues to suggest they are hurting even more after allowing Leicestershire to chase down a target of 378 the other day, for the loss of just five wickets.

There are no givens, but with the return of spectators to the Oval, it would be great if they were rewarded with a convincing start to the T20 campaign