Surrey: County champions have Premier League-sized ambitions

Surrey’s bottom line was given meaning in emphatic fashion last season with a largely homegrown squad winning the County Championship title under club great, Alec Stewart.

The former England captain, whose father Micky won a number of titles in south London before being emulated by his son decades later, has lived through generations of change at The Oval.

“I’ve been involved since I was in a pushchair,” the director of cricket smiles as he recalls “shabby stands” of a bygone era.

“The ground has changed 100%. Since I first arrived nothing is as it was because everything evolves and the club continues to evolve.”

Drastic changes have also been needed along the way, with even the money-making goliath running into financial trouble in 2010.

Twenty staff were made redundant following poor Test-match ticket sales and low T20 competition attendances.

The club’s finances then were reliant on money brought in by international fixtures, with the T20 competition – which has already sold 27,000 tickets for this year’s event – regarded “an also ran” revenue stream.

“Surrey had some real tough times but at the moment we are enjoying good times and we have earned that right,” added Stewart.