Surrey's aura dimmed

By Martin Gough

Surrey's success around the turn of the century led to the side being dubbed the "Manchester United of cricket".

Surrey relegation sealed

Under captain Adam Hollioake, the men from The Oval won three County Championship titles between 1999 and 2002.

But they will start the 2006 season, for the first time, in Division Two of the most prestigious county competition, looking up at the top teams.

The 2005 season ended in ignominy Surrey were consigned to the drop by arch-rivals Middlesex on home turf.

In an apparent slip of the tongue, chief executive Paul Sheldon described their destination as "2nd XI cricket", inadvertantly reflecting the embarrassment.

However, the signs have been there for some time that the Surrey side had lost its star status.

Hollioake and coach Keith Medlycott, who presided over that period of dominance, both stepped down after the 2003 season.

The truth is Surrey are just not good enougth at the moment From ESM Have your say on TMS

Opener Ian Ward had moved to Sussex the previous winter and Alec Stewart - whose time admittedly was spent mostly with England - retired.

Australian Steve Rixon was brought in as cricket manager to lead a rebuilding programme but was hamstrung from the start.

Jonathan Batty, installed as captain under the previous regime, was asked to carry the triple burden of skippering, opening the batting and keeping wicket.

The batting side of it has been fine but we have struggled like crazy this year to bowl sides out Micky Stewart Surrey chairman of cricket

And he was always going to struggle to copy Hollioake's charismatic leadership style, which saw Surrey going into games expecting to win.

Three victories at the end of last season lifted Surrey to the top of a group of mediocre teams but despite finishing third they were never in the Championship hunt.

Young players such as Scott Newman, whose wicket on Thursday sealed relegation, and Rikki Clarke are testament to the quality of Surrey's development system.

But it is victories that count in the eyes of supporters and Surrey have managed just three this season.

Surrey's chairman of cricket Micky Stewart was part of the side that won seven successive Championship titles in the 1950s.

Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Today programme, he highlighted the injury crisis that has blighted them this term.

"We had a great run at the end of the '90s and early this century [but] nine of those players are not playing," he said.

"The batting side of it has been fine but we have struggled like crazy this year to bowl sides out.

"That has been mainly because Jimmy Ormond and Martin Bicknell - the two bowlers up front - played [17] matches between them."

Alan Butcher is a Surrey man through and through Micky Stewart Surrey appoint Butcher as coach

Rixon got the captain he wanted this season in Mark Butcher, but a wrist injury kept the batsman out of action until the later stages.

Star Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood had time out with injury, while Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh had various international duties that restricted him to four games.

Surrey were not helped by an eight-point penalty for ball-tampering, imposed in May.

Under new conditions which take effect next season, the drop zone is cut to two counties anyway.

But that could work against them next season as only two sides are promoted from Division Two.

Next year will see Surrey go back to basics, having appointed Alan Butcher - father of Mark and a Surrey player from 1971 to '98 - as their new coach.

"Alan Butcher is a Surrey man through and through," said Stewart.

"He knows the form right from when we introduce cricket to lads in the county and the way we develop them.

"We're looking forward for him to put that into operation and re-establish ourselves."

A club with Surrey's pedigree will accept nothing less.