WITH the County Championship season not quite going as planned, Surrey are in action against Oxford University's side this week in the hope of picking up some form.
Jason Roy led the side out in Oxford, which started yesterday (Wednesday) and despite having just 31 first-class matches under his belt, will get to command a bowling attack featuring Chris Tremlett and Jade Dernbach.
The highly rated 22-year-old has stepped in at the top of the order in absence of the injured Graeme Smith, scoring one century this season, and is excited by the challenge ahead of him.
"I'm really looking forward to the responsibility," he said.
"I've only captained at school before, so it's a great chance to show the management what I can do.
"Obviously it'll be great to have some older heads around me, and there will also be a chance for some of the younger guys to step up too."
Surrey travelled to Oxford having lost another County Championship game at Trent Bridge against Nottinghamshire on Sunday, meaning Chris Adams' side are yet to win in the competition this season.
However, Roy was encouraged by the team's exploits against a talented Nottinghamshire side, where seamer Stuart Meaker impressed with four wickets in both innings.
"We went into the last day with a chance to win [73-3 chasing 259 to win] and that's a lot better.
"The bowlers did a great job so now it's up to us batters to step up too."
Roy has wowed fans with his explosive hitting in the shorter form of the game since his breakthrough, but has now had to try and establish himself as a first class opener, along with another youngster, Rory Burns.
Burns, also 22, has hit two centuries in the County Championship this season, and Roy feels that the pair learnt a lot from legendary South African opener Smith before his injury.
"Unfortunately he's back in his homeland now, but it was great to have him around, he was extremely helpful," Roy said of the skipper, who is recovering from ankle surgery.
"The most important thing for us now is just to win as many games as we can without him."
Surrey travel to Scotland next in the YB40, before facing bottom of the table Derbyshire in the County Championship.
