Surrey coach praises players for recent successes

On-a-roll Surrey coach Keith Medlycott "couldn't give the players enough credit" for the way they have "really dug in in the last couple of weeks".

Saving their game against Leicstershire, winning the B & H Cup, then trouncing Northants at Guildford today, has made England's most successful coach think about a double for 2001, adding the CricInfo Championship trophy to their one-day silverware.

"There's oceans to go," the man Pakistan want to guide them admitted. "Every game now will be a potential decider. But we're used to playing huge games."

Surrey's initial aim is to beat Northants on Sunday, to extricate themselves from the foot of the National League table.

England batsman Ally Brown revealed to CricInfo his anguish about being unable to play because of a suspected fractured thumb. The injury was sustained before the 31-year-old's match-winning century at Guildford, the only score above fifty in the game.

"I'm disappointed to miss out," he said, before visiting a specialist to discover the seriousness of the damage. Medlycott added: "It's definitely more than bruised."

Gary Butcher looks set to step in for Brown, with spinner Gareth Batty as reserve.

Medlycott is "keen" to give ex-England man Ian Salisbury a bowl, after the leg spinner missed the cup final with a broken toe.

In contrast, dejected Northants skipper David Ripley admitted: "We need to win six of the last nine to stay up."

Paceman Lesroy Weekes will probably replace Toby Bailey in the Steelbacks line-up for Sunday.