Publisher's Synopsis
2000 was quite a year for Surrey County Cricket Club. Not only did the team retain the County Championship title that they won so convincingly in 1999, they also gained promotion to Division One of the National Cricket League by winning the Division Two title with two games to spare.;While the Surrey Lions found the going relatively easy in the short-course form of the game, remaining unbeaten for the first thirteen games of the season, the County Championship campaign was liberally sprinkled with joyous highs, dispiriting lows and moments of genuine controversy. The high spots included Martin Bicknell's record-breaking 16 for 119 at Guildford, the best bowling return in this country since Jim Laker's 19 for 90 in the Old Trafford Test of 1956, and Alistair Brown's remarkable unbeaten 295 at Oakham School, which was the sixth-highest score ever made by a Surrey batsman in first-class cricket. These memorable achievements were almost matched by Gary Butcher's four wickets in four balls against Derbyshire, the opening partnership of 359 recorded by Mark Butcher and Ian Ward against Durham, and the unforgettably tense and pivotal two-run victory over Hampshire at The Oval at the start of June.;On the other side of the coin, we had the almost unbelievable double capitulation at the hands of Durham at Chester-le-Street early in the season, which represented one of the biggest shocks in county cricket for some years, and the equally surprising reversal against Derbyshire on a pitch at Derby that grabbed all the headlines. The controversy generated by that rogue wicket paled into insignificance, however, alongside events at Scarborough later in the season, when dubious practices and scandalous behaviour cast a dark shadow over the potential Championship decider. With dramatic events and heroic performances so ab undant, it was fortunate for Surrey fans that the author was again on hand to record this historic season for posterity.;Following on from his previous books, "Pursuing The Dream - My Season With Surrey C.C.C." and the highly-acclaimed "The Dream Fulfilled - Surrey's 1999 County Championship Triumph", the author has now produced "Doubling Up With Delight - Surrey's Twin Triumphs 2000", in which he recounts the story of another memorable campaign with a passion that can only be associated with a truly dedicated fan. This detailed account of the season is enhanced by 24 pages of high-quality colour photographs and, perhaps most significantly, exclusive interviews with all the players and with the manager, Keith Medlycott. There are some interesting revelations, too, as the players speak with refreshing candour about the matches and moments, both good and bad, that shaped the campaign. The book also features a foreword by Club President and former Prime Minister, John Major, who states that "Doubling Up With Delight" records the flavour of cricket in the Millennium and a famous season for Surrey."
