Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Hain return will make Warwickshire match a more challenging assignment

With Surrey sitting out last week’s round of County Championship matches, the Oval outfit have slipped to third in Division One

Even though Rory Burns maintains he rarely looks at what the other teams are doing, it certainly won’t have escaped the Surrey skipper’s attention that Somerset’s three-wicket victory over Essex only puts both a slither ahead of the South Londoners, who have the advantage of a game in hand.

It was all done and dusted in two days at Taunton, with 37 batters perishing – all of them to seam – in 188 overs.

Essex also face a possible points deduction after opener Feroze Khushi’s bat failed an on-field dimensions check in this season’s opening round.

Durham were docked 10 points in 2022 after Nic Maddison’s bat failed to fit through the umpires’ measurement gauge.

So it’s not only the weather forecast for this weekend that’s looking good ahead of fourth-placed Warwickshire’s visit to the Kia Oval today. The Bears have drawn all their matches this season, but that hasn’t stopped their top order stockpiling runs.

If Sam Hain, yet to feature this summer due to personal reasons, returns to the fold then Warwickshire could prove a tough nut to crack.

After hitting hundreds in both innings for the Bears’ seconds against Sussex’s twos recently, there’s everything to suggest the former England ODI batter is in a good space again.

I don’t know the reasons for Hain’s absence, but earlier this week the Professional Cricketers Association’s chief operating officer Daryl Mitchell revealed that more than 10 per cent of the PCA’s membership accessed the association’s mental health services last year.

“It’s difficult to get away from the pressure of professional sport, but I think the relentless schedule is a factor,” said Mitchell.

The PCA’s assertion that the domestic calendar is not fit for purpose was met by an unsympathetic response from fans on social media.

But even England’s Joe Root has thrown his weight behind the findings of the PCA’s survey, which also indicates 81 per cent of county cricketers feel the schedule causes physical concerns, with 76 per cent worried about unsafe travel.

“Looking at the fixture list from a physical, wellbeing and high-performance angle does cause me concern,” said Root. “Having space to recover, prepare and improve your game during the season is crucial and the creation of minimum standards to protect travel windows and player welfare is non-negotiable.”

The shape and size of the schedule for 2025 is under discussion, but with County Championship crowds up on this time last year, ticket sales for the

T20 Blast likewise and The Hundred seen as the best thing since sliced bread, by those who hold the purse-strings, it’s difficult to see what gives, if anything.

PICTURE: PA