Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Heavyweight clubs found it hard to dominate T20 – jetsetting Narine boosts our prospects

When you consider some of the so-called minnows who have won the domestic T20 more times than Surrey (whose solitary success came 20 years ago, in the competition’s inaugural season), it just goes to show that, in Twenty20, it all comes down to what happens on the day.

Two of Surrey’s trio of defeats in the final have come at the hands of three-time winners Leicestershire, in 2004, and Northants, who have lifted the trophy twice, in 2013.

Even so, given Surrey’s resources, many find their lack of T20 attainment perplexing. But let’s not forget that of county cricket’s other powerhouses, Notts have only lifted the trophy twice, Lancashire and Warwickshire once and the closest Yorkshire have come was losing the final in 2012.

Sunil Narine’s commitment to the Surrey cause means his involvement in Twenty20 finals day – which will be an all-South affair – will entail a 9,000-mile round trip across the Atlantic, due to the start of the USA’s Major League Cricket.

Narine, who flew to the States last weekend to captain LA Knight Riders against Texas Super Kings in Dallas, will pop back for county cricket’s showpiece before returning to the US this coming Sunday.

The veteran of 469 T20 appearances is due to land in the UK tomorrow morning, just in time for the South Londoners’ Blast semi-final against Somerset, which gets underway in Birmingham at 2.30pm. It speaks volumes for Narine’s indispensability.

“Having Sunny in your team is a luxury as a captain,” said Surrey’s T20 skipper Chris Jordan. “He can bowl in any phase of the game. I call him my Swiss Army knife – he’s a guy for any situation and any time.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD