Jason Roy - Early Career

Early Career

Having moved to England along with his family when he was 10 years old, Roy was educated at Whitgift School and represented Surrey in age group cricket from U-11 through to Under-19 and Surrey Academy level. He took part in the Surrey Under-19 tour to South Africa in 2007, where he notably top-scored for Surrey with an innings of 51 in a one-day match against Western Province Under-19s.

He was a member of the 2007 intake of players to the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy, and on 15 June 2007 made a decisive contribution on his one-day debut for the Surrey second team, scoring 48 from 33 balls in a Second XI Trophy match against Hampshire which Surrey won by 3 runs.

Roy made no further appearances for the Surrey second team in 2007, but was selected to represent the South at Under-17 level in the ECB Regional Festival, held at Loughborough in July 2007, where he played in three matches.

In the 2008 season, Roy established himself in the Surrey second team. In his debut in the Second XI Championship, Roy scored 88 from 89 balls against a Hampshire attack which included the South African Test match bowler Nantie Hayward, having come to the crease with Surrey in trouble at 89-4.

He made his debut for the Surrey first team in a Twenty20 Cup match against Middlesex on 27 June 2008, and made his List A debut in the Natwest Pro40 League fixture against Yorkshire on 20 July 2008, the day before his 18th birthday.

He was used as a substitute fielder for England's test team against South Africa in the final test of the 2008 series at The Oval.

In September 2008, Roy was selected for the ECB Elite Player Development squad taking part in a triangular tournament against University Sport South Africa and MCC Universities. Roy was selected for two of his team's four matches. In his first match, against University Sport South Africa, Roy batted at number four but was only able to score a single run. His second match was disrupted by the weather and was declared a no result in the thirteenth over of MCC Universities' innings, which was being bowled by Roy.

In 2008, Roy won the Easter Scholarship to spend the 2008/2009 winter at the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide. While in Australia, Roy also played club cricket for Port Adelaide Cricket Club, and was part of the team which won the XXXX Gold Grade 20/20 Competition, scoring 20 runs from 12 balls in the final played at the Adelaide Oval. This was the club's first victory in the competition.

In April 2009, Roy played in a pre-season match for Surrey against Leeds/Bradford UCCE. Batting at number five, Roy was dismissed for a duck in Surrey's first innings, but fared better with the ball, taking 2 wickets for 51 runs from five overs.

In spite of his promising performances for the Surrey second team the previous year, Roy was unable to win a place in the team at the beginning of the 2009 season. However, on 25 April 2009, he reminded the county selectors of his ability while playing for his club, Reigate Priory, in a 50-over per side match against the Surrey Second XI. He took a catch as Surrey were dismissed for 157, and opened the innings for Reigate Priory, scoring 69 runs from only 51 balls against a bowling attack including former England international James Ormond before being caught behind. This innings was instrumental in Reigate Priory reaching their target of 158 with more than 22 overs to spare. On 23 May 2009, Roy scored 115 off 88 balls in Reigate Priory's victory over Spencer in the Surrey Championship Premier Division.

Selected for Surrey to play against Warwickshire in the Under-19s County Championship at Whitgift School on 6 July 2009, Roy scored 129 from 106 balls in a drawn match. Following this impressive performance, Roy made his first appearance of the season in Surrey Second XI's match against Somerset at Millfield School on 14 July, scoring 20 in Surrey's first innings. Roy retained his place in the team for the friendly match against Yorkshire Second XI in Guildford on 11 August. Roy top-scored in Surrey's second innings with 45, although Yorkshire won by an innings with a day to spare.

Roy's next appearance for Surrey Second XI was on 18 August against MCC Universities in the Second XI Championship. Playing on familiar territory at Whitgift School, Roy scored 118 from 115 balls in a drawn match. On his return to the one-day team against Kent on 24 August, Roy top scored in Surrey's innings with 55. However, this promising run of form was abruptly ended in the Second XI Championship match against the same opponents which began the following day. Roy recorded a pair, although he took a catch in Kent's second innings.

Better performances for his club (including an aggressive 138 from 60 balls against Henley) and the county Second XI in September 2009 led to a recall to the Surrey first team for the NatWest Pro40 League fixture against Leicestershire on 27 September 2009. Roy opened Surrey's innings but scored only 6 runs. However, Surrey won the match by four wickets. This was to be Roy's first and only competitive match for the Surrey first team during the 2009 season.