Any Members who are new to the Club in the 2014 season are encouraged to attend the New Members’ Event, which takes place in the Long Room after play on Tuesday 8th April, day three of the first game of the season, against Glamorgan.

The event will include a short presentation about Members’ facilities at the Kia Oval and will also introduce key members of staff in the Membership office.

To register your attendance please visit the Pavilion Reception or go online to kiaoval.com.

Surrey County Cricket Club’s Annual Report for the 2013/14 Financial Year has been produced and circulated to Members by post.

If you have yet to receive a copy please ask Pavilion Reception. The report will be available for discussion and adoption at the Club’s Annual General Meeting – at the Kia Oval on Thursday April 24th, starting at 6pm.

This year, there will be no vote on new appointments to the General Committee. This is because only four Members have opted to stand this year and therefore have all been automatically returned to stand a four year term.

As part of the expanded Kia Oval Tours programme, official tours of the ground are now being given every Sunday of an LV=County Championship match at 10am.

Members of the public on the tour will be shown around the Members’ Pavilion as part of their experience. Hopefully this will

provide no inconvenience to existing Members arriving to watch a day of cricket.

Equally, if Members would like to take part in the tour themselves – and see behind the scenes at other areas around the ground – they are welcome to join the group, who will meet in Pavilion Reception at 10am. Tours are free for Members and £10 for their guests using a guest pass, which can be paid in cash on the day.

The Club are looking to continue development of a new retail range and are seeking feedback from female Members.

Are there any particular products you would like to see created in Club colours or bearing the Surrey logo? Our current suite of Membership retail clothing is male skewed and we would like to see what demand there is for a specific female range.

All feedback should be left at Pavilion Reception or e-mailed to membership@surreycricket.com.

Details on purchasing hospitality at the annual Guildford Festival will be circulated in the next edition of the Members’ Newsletter, which will be available at the Kia Oval from Sunday May 11th.

This year’s matches see Surrey entertain Kent in the LV= County Championship from Sunday July 20th to Wednesday July 23rd and then play Glamorgan in the Royal London One-Day Cup on Sunday July 27th.

Members wanting to make a booking before May 11th should contact membership@surreycricket.com to receive the details earlier.

MEMBERS’ NOTICEBOARD

Surrey CCC have agreed a charity partnership with the nearby Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

The partnership will see the Club raising money and awareness for the

hospital with a number of events throughout the year. The first of these will see Club Mascot Caesar the Lion – powered by Kia Oval Operations Manager David Gorrod – run the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday April 13th.

To sponsor Caesar in his run, please visit virginmoneygiving.com/surreylion or make a donation at

the Pavilion Reception Desk at any stage during the first game of the season.

Evelina London, based at the St Thomas’ Hospital site just up the road from the Kia Oval, cares for children and young people from across south London and south east England. It offers a unique range of services from antenatal diagnosis through to childhood and into adolescence. Evelina London also supports children in the local community and in their homes.

If any Members are interested in taking on physical challenges or taking part in popular events such as the Royal Parks Half Marathon or the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, then please contact membership@surreycricket.com or leave your details at the Pavilion Reception desk and somebody from the Club will get in touch with you.

NEW CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

APRIL 2014

Wherever you are in the world, the first day of the season always has a special feeling. I have been lucky enough to experience this in a number of different cultures and now find myself here at the Kia Oval, one of the most storied cricket grounds in the world. It is a great honour. I have now been at the Club for six weeks and have really enjoyed what has been a highly productive and exciting opening to my time at Surrey. As well as working with the playing squad and support staff I have had the chance to meet people across all areas of the Club. Whilst I have only met a small number of Members at the pre-season lunch, I look forward to becoming acquainted with more of you as the season goes on. The relationship between the team and Club Members is very important indeed and I hope we will all be able to share in all the ups and downs that we inevitably have in front of us! My time with Surrey started with our tour to Cape Town in mid March, followed by a busy pre-season programme back here in England. It has given me a good chance to get to know the playing staff and assess the strengths of our squad. This time has also been a good chance for the support staff to gel together and develop into a unified team. This is very important because it is our job to create a comfortable and positive environment, suitable for players to grow and develop. The last six weeks has given me a chance to really get to know Alec, Stuart, Ali, Gareth, Alex, Ryan, Darryl and the rest of the team and I can’t say enough about their commitment and work ethic. The ‘support staff’ goes beyond those regularly working with the dressing room though and throughout March we have been very fortunate with the weather. This has given us the chance to have some high quality outdoor net sessions here at the Kia Oval – the ground staff must also be thanked for providing some very good early season practice facilities.

I write before leaving for Fenner’s this week so obviously cannot mention that game but before then we have enjoyed a couple of good practice games against Middlesex and Essex and these have produced some pleasing performances. Our squad has a youthful feel to it, and this comes with exciting energy and enthusiasm. Added to this, we have some immensely experienced and knowledgeable mentors within the group who will certainly play a big part in helping the youngsters develop and grow as cricketers. In team sport, attitude is a very important ingredient. Thus far, all our lads have been very impressive in this department. Many of the questions I answered from journalists on our pre-season media day were about two names and I will say here what I said then. It is a great boost to us all to have the services of cricketing greats like Graeme Smith and Kevin Pietersen available to us. I can assure you that their passion to assist in building a successful Surrey team is as strong as yours and mine and the contribution they can make is hugely significant. In conclusion, it is a great privilege to be involved at a Club that has such a brilliant cricketing feel to it and I am very much looking forward to the season starting so we can continue moving forward and developing the future of Surrey CCC. Regards, Graham FordHead CoachSurrey CCC

WELCOME FROM GRAHAM FORD

MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER

There are 11 different county sides visiting the Kia Oval this year and each of them will have a local ale sold at the Kia Oval in their honour - starting with Brains’ ale, Reverend James, for Glamorgan.

The new beers have been introduced by Club catering staff as a direct result of feedback from Members who wanted a wider choice of products available in the Pavilion.

It is hoped that the geographical selection process will allow Members to pay a non competitive tribute to our opponents, whilst sampling some of their finest exports!

Please see below for the full list of ales expected to be available throughout the season:

Sussex Darkstar – HopheadMiddlesex Grand Union – Best BitterGlamorgan Brains – Rev JamesEssex Brentwood BreweryHampshire Ringwood – BoondoogleKent Shepherd Neame – SpitfireGloucestershire Gloucester Brewery – Gloucester Gold Somerset St Austells – TributeWorcestershire Attwood Ales – APA Pale Ale Derbyshire Peak Ales – Swift Kick Leicestershire Belvoir BreweryNottinghamshire Springhead – The Bees KneesWarwickshire Tunnel Brewery – Legend Bitter

Each county will also inspire a specific pie, produced by the award winning Piglet’s Pantry, the ground's new pie suppliers.

Piglet’s, who already supply pies to a number of football clubs and the Goodwood Estate, have won a host of British Pie Awards as well as a large number of awards that have been voted for by football fans from across the country.

Varieties available at each game will include a special Steak & Ale pie made with our very own Surrey Stumper; Chicken Balti (2012 British Pie Awards Gold Medal Winner) and a vegetarian pie with butternut squash and spicy vegetable filling (2013 British Pie Awards ‘Best Football Pie’, Third Place).

GUEST ALES

NEW SPECIALITY PIES

2015 ASHES PRIORITY INFORMATION

AIR CONDITIONING

Another piece of work done over the winter is the installation of air conditioning into the Long Room, Alcock Room, Prince of Wales Room and the Committee Room.

This work was commissioned from the Club’s maintenance partner OCS following feedback from Members in 2013. Rooms now have heating and cooling capabilities, meaning that no matter what the weather, the rooms will suit all needs.

Surrey CCC Head of Maintenance James Wagg added: “We have installed all units discretely, so as to not disturb the special ambience enjoyed by such historic rooms – hopefully you may even struggle to see them!”

The Club has decided to offer an exclusive level of priority for the purchase of 2015 Ashes tickets to Members who have been with the Club for two consecutive seasons or more.

With tickets due to go on sale in November 2014, anybody who is a Member of Surrey CCC for the 2014 season and renews for 2015 before the on sale date will qualify for the priority.

This decision has been taken as a direct result of Members’ feedback, some of whom felt that the Club were insufficiently rewarding the loyalty shown by long term Members when it came to buying tickets for major Test Matches.

Exact details of the form the priority will take will be revealed later in the season through official Surrey channels.

The Surrey Second XI fixtures have been confirmed for the 2014 season – starting with a game at Guildford CC on Tuesday April 15th.

Surrey will also play home fixtures at Purley CC, Cheam CC, Reigate Priory CC, Charterhouse School and Sunbury CC as well as visiting grounds including Horsham, Radlett and the Polo Farm in Canterbury.

The Second XI is coached by Surrey legend Alistair Brown and managed by Pemberton Greenish Academy Director Gareth Townsend. It will feature a mix of players from the professional squad as well as PG Academy players and occasional triallists.

As ever, entrance to all these matches will be free of charge.

SECOND XI FIXTURE DETAILS

CINEMA ROOM

APRIL

15 - 17 Hampshire Guildford CC SEF21 - 23 Gloucestershire Bristol SEC24 Gloucestershire Bristol SET28 - 29 Sussex Horsham SEF30 Sussex Horsham SET

MAY

6 - 8 Warwickshire Walmley CC SEF14 Kent Purley CC Set2019 Hampshire Ageas Bowl Set2021 Sussex Purley CC Set2023 MCC YC Shenley Set20

JUNE

2 - 4 Somerset Cheam CC SEC5 FINALS DAY Arundel Set2010 - 12 Hampshire Ageas Bowl SEC16 Middlesex Radlett CC SET17 Somerset Taunton Vale CC SET24 - 26 Middlesex Radlett CC SECJULY

1 Unicorns Reigate Priory CC SET2 - 4 MCC Universities Cheam CC SEC10 Hampshire Ageas Bowl SET14 Kent Polo Farm Canterbury SET15 - 17 Kent Polo Farm Canterbury SEC28 - 30 Essex Charterhouse School SEC31 Essex Sunbury CC SET

AUGUST

5 - 7 Northamptonshire Guildford CC SEC8 Northamptonshire Guildford CC SET20 - 22 Glamorgan Newport CC SEF26 SEMI FINAL TBC SET27 - 29 Sussex Purley CC SEC

SEPTEMBER

8 SET Final TBC SET 10 - 12 Sussex Horsham SEF*16 - 19 FINAL TBC SEC

The Counties Room on the fourth floor is currently in the process of being converted into a Cinema Room. Currently the room features a very large television and a good selection of classic cricket DVDs, hopefully something that might help take the edge off a rainy day. We have aimed to cater for all tastes and included a few more leftfield options in the selection! Further improvements are planned throughout the season as and when the Club can source appropriate decor and seating.

Speaking about the project, Operations Director Scott Carey said: “The idea was suggested by our Museum and Heritage Group and we thought it was great. We’ve installed the big TV and DVD player and will be looking to make continued improvements throughout the season. Hopefully Members will enjoy the chance to relax and watch some cricketing heritage. I’m sure it will be popular when it rains!” Any ideas for DVDs to be added to the collection are welcome at membership@surreycricket.com or by speaking to the Pavilion Reception desk.