Wince as Mark Butcher did as Worcestershire’s Phil Jaques and Stephen Moore kick-started a Twenty20-type charge to 287 at nine an over, the Surrey captain expressed pride in the early form of his oft-maligned attack, notably Ian Salisbury and Nayan Doshi.

“Until mid-May it was very dry and we played both spinners. The way things are going, even when Anil Kumble gets here, maybe we’ll play three. Sals has been magnificent. He worked hard on some technical difficulties during the winter and now he’s bowling as well as I’ve ever seen him.”

After he missed swaths of 2005 recovering from the broken hand that cost him his Test spot, Butcher’s return saw juices and runs flow freely. “I feel like I’ve finally started being captain and it’s gone really well. The toughest bit was starting with 11 days’ cricket in 12; I haven’t done that for years. But I feel right in the groove.” Does the calendar entry for November 23 read “Brisbane”? “What with all the injuries, nothing’s set in stone. Australia is still on my mind.”
Rob Steen, The Wisden Cricketer