Date-stamped : 18 May94 - 14:25 Surrey 1994 Preview Waqar clouds Surrey's championship chances - By Geoffrey Dean Troubled times at the Oval during the winter should not disguise the fact that Surrey are sufficiently well-equipped to be serious challengers for any of the one-day trophies this season. The doubts over Waqar Younis's availability could, however, undermine their chances in the championship. The county are still unsure when Waqar will be fit following his recent appendicitis which forced him out of the Pakistan party for the Sharjah one-day tournament. Some reports indicate he will not be fit until late May. And as he is already due to be absent from early July to tour Sri Lanka with Pakistan, consideration is being given to the possibility of signing another overseas player in his place on a one-year contract. The Australian, Paul Rieffel, is the ru- moured favourite to be taken on should a decision be made not to engage Waqar. The controversial dismissal of former coach Geoff Arnold last November was the first in a chain of events that cul- minated last month in a motion of no confidence by more than 250 members (including three on the general committee) in the manage- ment board's handling of cricketing matters. An EGM will, as a result, follow shortly. Captain Alec Stewart, who publicly denounced Arnold's sacking, is keen to play down the unrest. "We must look to the future. I'm not saying you can just forget what's happened but all of the problems off the field must not affect us on it - you can't let it." Stewart, whose benefit it is this year, will be working closely with Mike Edwards, whose post of director of cricket is a new one. They will be hoping to end the county's trophy famine that stretches back to 1982. Graham Clinton becomes batting coach and Graham Dilley bowling coach, after being lured from his job as cricket master at Cheltenham College. Ironically, Surrey's performance last season was rela- tively successful - the county's third place in the AXA Equity & Law League was their highest placing in Sunday cricket, while sixth position in the championship was seven places better than in 1992. For all their talent in the top order, Surrey were, how- ever, a disappointingly inconsistent batting side. They were bad- ly afflicted by collapses, notoriously so in their Benson and Hedges Cup defeat by Lancashire when, with only 25 needed to win, they then lost their last nine wickets in five overs. "We didn't bat as a team," admits Stewart, "though individually we were good. We're still learning to play four-day cricket and learning to win. Too many close games don't go our way." Stewart and Dar- ren Bicknell both had good seasons, averaging 47 apiece in the championship. Alistair Brown confirmed that his dramatically suc- cessful entry into first-class cricket in 1992 was no aberration with 1,188 championship runs last year at 44. Graham Thorpe aver- aged 40 and Adam Hollioake, who scored a hundred on debut, against Derbyshire, suggested he is a player of maturity and promise. Two senior players, however, in David Ward and Monty Lynch had poor seasons, averaging 31 and 23 respectively in the championship. Waqar could not repeat his phenomenal 1991 season last year, when he took 62 championship wickets at 22, but his psychological value to the side was still immense. Martin Bick- nell bowled consistently well at the other end to take his 63 championship wickets not just more cheaply than Waqar but also at a better strike rate. Stewart says Bicknell was "unlucky" not to be selected for England's Caribbean tour. If he regains his Eng- land place, Surrey could have three key players on Test duty for half a dozen of their championship matches. Surrey will, there- fore, be praying that Joey Benjamin can repeat his splendid 1993 form which culminated in a county cap. His 62 championship wick- ets came at 28. Cover in the seam bowling department has been gained by the signing of Tony Pigott and Jason de la Pena. Stewart thinks Pigott "will help players on and off the field. Some of the Sussex lads were surprised he was released". The re- liable workhorse, Tony Murphy, the talented young all-rounder Mark Butcher, and the raw but genuinely quick David Thompson, 18, make up the rest of the seam bowlers. It is thought that Edwards wants spinners Neil Kendrick and James Boiling to play more of a part than last year when they took only 37 championship wickets between them compared to 95 in 1992. (Thanks : The Daily Telegraph) Contributed by Vicky (VIGNESWA@*umass.edu)