County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Rory Hamilton-Brown

We all know what it's like to spend an absolute fortune at the supermarket and then having unpacked everything at home realised we have forgotten something fundamental such as the milk.

Rory Hamilton-Brown had to cope with this and a whole heap of other challenges on succeeding to the Surrey captaincy at the beginning of the 2010 season.

If it wasn't enough that he was given what appeared to be a poisoned chalice for one so young with only a handful of first-class matches under his belt, Hamilton-Brown also had to contend with inverse snobbery of the worst kind with barbs regularly being aimed at his name, his public school background and even scurrilous rumours that his father dropped him off by helicoptor.

So when Chris Adams went shopping at the sales and came back with a whole new team minus any opening batsmen, Hamilton-Brown could have been forgiven for accepting that his task of rejuvenating Surrey was as impossible as climbing Everest in a Hackett shirt, a pair of boating shoes and a broken oar.

But Hamilton-Brown proved to be a tougher and shrewder leader than anyone could have predicted. He took on the added responsibility of opening the batting himself and topped 1,000 runs in the Championship. Moreover, he inspired raw charges such as Tom Maynard, Jason Roy, Tim Linley and Stuart Meaker to fully demonstrate their abilities. 

Surrey's charge to promotion was also made without the usual banker of runs aplenty from Mark Ramprakash. That is another string in Hamilton-Brown's bow.

The cherry on the cake was Surrey's deserved success in the Clydesdale Bank Trophy where perhaps fittingly it was the skipper's 78 off just 62 balls that saw Somerset deprived of a trophy once again.

Old Grizzly Adams reckons that Hamilton-Brown will captain England one day. We're not too sure about that, but the Surrey skipper has proved once and for all that he is a talented cricketer and a natural leader of men. He may just want to accompany Adams next time he goes shopping to ensure that he has an opening batsman at his disposal next summer.

Where next?

See our other posts featuring Rory Hamilton-Brown 

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry

County Championship XI of the season

County Championship Division 2 XI of the season

Read all of our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Comments

[Brian Adger The Middlesex Badger]

Hamilton-Brown is probably the biggest bellend in county cricket. I sat and watched him "laddishly" captain (in the loosest sense of the word) against Middlesex at Guildford, where he basically paid no attention to the cricket and shouted out 'banter' like a twat. Luckily the Surrey team is filled with twats, so his innivotave style of twattish captaincy has reaped dividends. England captain? Give me a break.

[John Church]

Distinctly unimpressive individual - instead of trying to improve the behaviour and demeanour of the likes of Roy and Batty he has taken to joining in their chav gang - if it wasnt for Tom Maynard us Surrey members would have no cricketers worthy of the Club

[Rich Abbott]

Well his 'laddish' captaincy seemed to work okay this season. As a Surrey member I was pretty proud of the 'Chav gang' this year, but you can't please everyone.

Good work, as ever, DG

[The Reverse Sweep]

RHB certainly has his fair share of detractors doesn't he?

[The Reverse Sweep]

He certainly divides opinion, doesn't he Brian? As a Sussex fan, I've got a grudging respect for him even if it would appear from what you say that there are still a few chinks that need ironing out.

[The Reverse Sweep]

But I guess you are happy with the upturn in Surrey's fortunes and RHB has played a decisive role in that...