Surrey CCC news round-up: Rikki Clarke urges England to call up Rory Burns for Test series

BY MARCUS HOOK

All-rounder Rikki Clarke has added to the calls for Surrey captain Rory Burns to be selected for England’s forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

Clarke, 36, said: “Taking my Surrey hat off, when I was playing for Warwickshire we always felt Burnsey was a batsman who lined the ball up well.

“To make a thousand first-class runs five seasons running, he’s earned the right. Hopefully he gets the opportunity he deserves, because it seems a long time coming.”

Clarke is also one of only two men still playing – Middlesex’s Tim Murtagh being the other – who featured in Surrey’s last County Championship title-winning season.

“The team we had in 2002, there were some decent players in that side and there are some decent players in this side as well,” said Clarke. “It would be brilliant to win it again, but it’s all about baby steps. I know it sounds clichéd, but we’re taking it one day at a time.”

Clarke is also in the form of his life with the ball, taking 4-28 and 4-47 in the win over Essex.

“I got eight wickets in this match,” said the veteran, who made 22 appearances for England. “Tom Curran got five wickets here and six in the last game, Morne Morkel has been chipping in as well.

“It’s all about sharing it out really, and it’s bowling for your mate at the other end.”

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Surrey CCC chief executive Richard Gould has praised Ticketmaster’s decision to shut down its ticket resale websites Seatwave and Getmein.

Earlier this year, as part of its efforts to combat ticket touting and protect cricket fans, Surrey agreed a groundbreaking deal with Ticketmaster meaning fans searching for tickets to sold out matches on Seatwave and Getmein would be automatically redirected to the club’s Ticket Exchange, where tickets can be legitimately resold at face value.

Ticketmaster’s decision to close the sites, which will come into effect next month, will see a new option introduced onto the main Ticketmaster site, allowing fans to resell tickets they can’t use, but only at face value or less.

Gould said: “Secondary ticketing sites too often allowed legitimate sports fans to become the victims of predatory and unfair behaviour by organised groups of ticket touts.

“While this announcement doesn’t entirely mark an end to this practice, Ticketmaster should be praised for this decision and I hope they are able to bring in the new measures quickly and effectively.

“Surrey CCC is committed to making sure tickets for major matches at the Kia Oval end up in the hands of cricket fans and, to this end, has partnered with Ticketmaster to run a Ticket Exchange for a number of years, allowing fans to sell on tickets they are no longer able to use at face value and giving people who may have missed out in the first instance a second chance to come to the game, but at a fair price.

“It seems like these are the principles behind Ticketmaster’s new system and I hope that all fans will soon be offered the protection we try to give at the Kia Oval.”