Saltires tie is ‘experiment’ for Surrey

STRUGGLING Surrey will challenge their fringe players to prove they are worth permanent promotion to the first team by snuffing out the Saltires.

The sides clash at the Kia Oval tomorrow in a YB40 sectional basement battle, and the hosts have vowed to use the match to experiment.

Surrey bowling coach Stuart Barnes declared: “We have had a very disappointing campaign and now is the right time to give some of our younger guys some experience at this level.

“We are still taking these matches very seriously and the aim is to make these guys better equipped for future ­competitions.

“We also need to learn how to tactically approach the 40-overs game and so we view our remaining matches in this season’s event as extremely valuable.”

Rookies Tom Curran, Dominic Sibley and Freddie van den Bergh are all included in the county’s new-look squad.

Surrey currently sit sixth in Group B, while the Scots are ­wallowing at the foot of the pile in what has been their least ­successful campaign at this level for many years.

Their most potent display this season was against the south Londoners at Raeburn Place when they lost by only 14 runs.

Skipper Vikram Solanki ­blasted a quick-fire century for Surrey, with Calum MacLeod (59) top scoring in the Scottish reply.