Jason Roy - 2011 Season

2011 Season

Although he ended the 2010 season as a first team regular and demonstrated his fitness in prior to the 2011 season (coming top in the Surrey squad's pre-season Bleep Test), Roy was only selected for one pre-season match in the first team, scoring 0 and 4 against Middlesex. Surrey had strengthened their batting resources over the preceding winter, confirming the long term signing of Kevin Pietersen, as well as bringing in new batsmen Zander de Bruyn and Tom Maynard, and Roy began the season in the Second XI.

However, Roy was included in the first team for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition and made an immediate impression, scoring 60 runs in his first match, against Scotland, and 76 against Hampshire. Roy scored another half century in the return fixture against Scotland. He made his first County Championship appearance of the season on 4 May against Leicestershire, and although he was dismissed for 5 in the first innings, he scored an aggressive 76 in the second innings as Surrey set the platform for victory. This innings equalled his highest first-class score at the time.

Roy was rested for the Championship match against Essex on 18 May as Surrey included their centrally-contracted international players, Kevin Pietersen and Chris Tremlett, but in the following match, against Glamorgan on 24 May, Roy returned to the first team. After an inauspicious first innings in which he scored only three runs, Roy took his maiden first-class wickets in Glamorgan's second innings, returning bowling figures of 2/29. He then opened Surrey's second innings and scored his maiden first-class century (an unbeaten 106 from 109 balls), guiding Surrey to a comfortable draw. He brought up his hundred with a six struck into the pavilion.

On 17 August he scored his first 40 over century, making 101 off 95 balls against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. He followed this up 4 days later with 131 off 99 balls, helping Surrey defeat Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Roy's season ended in fine style, being part of the Surrey side who won the CB40 final at Lord's against Somerset. Although Roy's day wasn't a personal success - being dismissed for a typically aggressive 11 immediately before a rain delay - he could at least be content that, as the second highest run scorer in the competition he had played a significant part in Surrey's progress to that stage.

On 29 September 2011, Roy was named by the ECB in the England Performance Programme Squad for 2011-12.