Winter Watch: Surrey's October to December

With a packed international schedule, a World Cup and franchise cricket, it’s been a busy start to the winter for the Surrey squad.

Alongside MyGuava, we give you the lowdown in how the Surrey squad have fared in warmer climates overseas.

The international winter kicked off with the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE, where Surrey was represented by Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. New Zealand were the eventual winners of the competition as England missed out on qualification for the semi-finals on net run rate.

Alongside the World Cup, England's men were involved in a Test tour of Pakistan with Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith featuring for the Three Lions. The hosts won a thrilling series 2-1.

Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Sam Curran and Reece Topley were part of England's white ball tour of the West Indies. Jamie Overton made his ODI debut, but the hosts took the series 2-1. England bit back, taking the T20 series 3-1.

Putting in the hard yards before the holiday's!

The men's squad did their pre-Christmas 2K time trial yesterday as they build up their conditioning ahead of the 2025 season!

| #SurreyCricketpic.twitter.com/dOHxrW6wQM

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) December 18, 2024

Surrey's Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were the first Surrey players to be involved in franchise cricket over the winter, with Capsey turning out for the Melbourne Renegades and Wyatt-Hodge representing the Hobart Hurricanes.

Both players then headed to South Africa, where they were joined by teammates Paige Scholfield and Sophia Dunkley for the start of the multi format series in South Africa.

Paige Scholfield was unfortunately injured in training ahead of the T20 series and had to withdraw from the squad. England dominated the T20 series, winning 3-0. Danni Wyatt-Hodge created history during the series when she became the first English woman to pass 3000 IT20 runs. England came from behind to clinch the ODI series 2-1.

The winter of men's franchise cricket kicked off with the Abu Dhabi T10, which saw Laurie Evans, Jason Roy, Dan Lawrence and Reece Topley involved.

The men's Big Bash kicked off this week with plenty of Surrey involvement. Tom Curran was involved in the first match of the competition with his new side – the Melbourne Stars. Batter Laurie Evans has made the switch to the Melbourne Renegades from the Perth Scorchers. Ollie Pope has signed for the Adelaide Strikers, where he'll join his Surrey teammate Jamie Overton. T20 captain Chris Jordan remains in Tasmania with the Hobart Hurricanes. Sean Abbott – the BBL's all-time wicket taker, stays with his beloved Sydney Sixers as Spencer Johnson remains at the Brisbane Heat.

Tom Lawes has spent December with the England Lions in South Africa. Lawes took 4/38 and top-scored with 48 but the Lions were well beaten by South Africa A in Cape Town.

Fellow fast bowler Nathan Barnwell is spending his winter in Australia, playing for Runaway Bay CC on the Gold Coast. Barnwell also tested himself against the India batters as they preprared for the third Test at the Gabba. Barnwell's efforts to Shubman Gill were praised by India Bowling Coach and former Surrey player, Morne Morkel.

The international year ended with England men's Test tour of New Zealand and England women's Test match with South Africa. Ollie Pope scored 77 as England took the first Test before Gus Atkinson took a historical hat-trick in the second match as England clinched the series. 2025 overseas signing – Nathan Smith, impressed with the ball in his debut series for the Blackcaps. The hosts fought back in the final Test match but England's men ended the year with the 2-1 Test victory, their first triumph in New Zealand since 2008. Gus Atkinson finished 2024 with an incredible 52 Test wickets from 11 matches.

A HAT-TRICK FOR GUS ATKINSON!

The first-ever cricketer to take a test hat-trick at the Basin Reserve.

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/uqtqv2uZMm

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 6, 2024

Heather Knight's England side finished the international year with a 286-run victory against South Africa as Surrey's Ryana MacDonald-Gay made her Test debut. Macca impressed with disciplined line and length, taking two wickets in the match as England finished the tour of South Africa with victory in the T20s, ODIs and Test match.