Jason Roy - Breakout Year

Breakout Year

Roy began the 2010 season as a regular in the Surrey Second XI in both Championship (three-day) and Trophy (one-day) cricket. After an unremarkable start to the season, Roy made his first significant contributions to the team in May, scoring centuries in three successive Championship matches, against Essex, Sussex and Durham respectively. While he scored a greater number of runs against Essex (180) and Durham (120), the innings against Sussex was perhaps the most impressive. In Surrey's second innings, Roy batted at number five and came to the crease with the score 42-3 against a bowling attack containing internationals Yasir Arafat and James Kirtley. When Roy was dismissed for 104, the score was 260-5, setting the platform for Surrey's victory. Roy's century was the top score in Surrey's second innings.

Roy maintained his form with a century for Reigate Priory, but as the county schedule turned to a long period without Championship matches, he had no opportunity to continue the run. However, he had caught the attention of Surrey's Cricket Manager, Chris Adams, and was included in Surrey's senior team for the 2010 Friends Provident t20 tournament, making his first appearance against Hampshire on 22 June, scoring 12 runs at a strike rate of 109.09.

The following day, Roy made history by scoring an unbeaten century against Kent (101 from only 57 balls), the first century scored by a Surrey batsman in Twenty20 cricket, as Surrey won the game by 38 runs.

Roy earned further plaudits with another aggressive innings against Somerset on 2 July, scoring 74 from 50 balls in another Surrey victory.

Surrey did not progress beyond the group stages of the 2010 Friends Provident t20, and Roy's personal performances also dipped towards the end of that competition. However, he continued to score heavily for the Second XI and appeared for the Surrey first team in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition between July and September, the highlight being an innings of 60 from 49 balls against Sussex in a tied match on 4 September. During the match, Roy enjoyed a partnership of 105 runs in 17 overs alongside Surrey's new signing, England international Kevin Pietersen.

He made his first class debut on 24 August 2010 against Leicestershire at Grace Road, and was last man out in Surrey's first innings, scoring 76 runs off 65 balls (including 9 fours and 3 sixes) in Surrey's first innings total of 483. The last four wickets fell for only 7 runs, preventing Roy from scoring a century in his maiden first class innings. In his second first-class match, Roy scored 69 against Glamorgan on 7 September 2010 and retained his place in the team for Surrey's final County Championship match of the season against Gloucestershire. By the end of the 2010 season, Roy was established as a first team regular in all forms of cricket, and signed a two-year contract with Surrey, which he described as "a dream come true".