A tough opening month will test Surrey’s ambition to win the Rothesay County Championship for the fourth year in a row.

They open their new Division One campaign on Friday against Essex – fourth last season – back at Chelmsford, where they completed the last back in September.

Runners-up Hampshire arrive at the Kia Oval seven days later before a trip to play promoted Sussex at Hove and home date with third-placed Somerset.

Last year Surrey became the first team to claim a hat-trick of titles since Yorkshire in 1966-68.

The challenge to make that four is even greater, aiming to emulate the feat of Yorkshire (1922-25) and their own predecessors under Stuart Surridge, who started their run in 1952 and went on to make it seven.

Surrey contributed richly to England teams in the 1950s and this era is no different, ECB central contracts meaning the availability of Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope and Gus Atkinson may be sporadic.

With a handful of players – most notably Sam Curran and Will Jacks – also away playing franchise tournaments in India and Pakistan for the opening two months, the strength and depth of the squad will be thoroughly tested, especially if injuries should occur, but the champions are used to having opposition counties on their tail.

“We like people saying they’re chasing us down because it means we’re doing something right,” said head coach Gareth Batty, whose responsibilities have been broadened this year after Alec Stewart moved from director of cricket to part-time high performance cricket advisor.

Surrey have strengthened their already potent seam attack with the signing of Yorkshire’s Matt Fisher, who played one Test for England in 2022 but has had his progress stalled by a series of injuries.

Surrey have re-signed veteran West Indian speedster Kemar Roach for the opening month, his fifth season with the county.

By Richard Spiller