ENGLANDS new-look batting order is stuffed with Surrey players who have been mates since their early teens.
When Sam Curran, Ollie Pope and Dom Sibley started playing together nearly ten years ago, they had big talent and big dreams.
Now, the trio will line-up against New Zealand here tomorrow evening wearing the Three Lions and hoping to be England regulars for the next decade.
And you can add Surrey captain and Test opener Rory Burns into the mix, because he has watched the others emerge through the ranks at The Oval.
Curran said: Its great to be involved with my good school mates. It will be fun if we all take to the park and hopefully we can nail down our places and become the future.
Its weird, really. I had a chat with Popey about this the other day. I joined the Surrey academy at 14 and played against him at Cranleigh School.
Sibbers was with me at the academy and went to Whitgift School. I played against them both all the way through the academy days until we got into the first-team at Surrey.
Burnsy is our captain at Surrey, so its special to be playing for England alongside such familiar faces.
I think its easier to play with guys youve grown up with. International cricket is international cricket but when youre playing with your mates and things are going badly you can kind of laugh it off and stay positive.
Its a nice friendship and I know Popey and Sibbers parents are coming out to New Zealand, so it will be special to see so many familiar faces.
Curran has nudged out Chris Woakes for the No8 all-rounder berth because England believe his left-arm angle and ability to swing the ball will pose a greater threat to New Zealands batsmen.
Curran added: Its about nailing down my spot and not being the one who is vulnerable.
As an all-rounder, I look up to Ben Stokes and the way he contributes.
Curran will be playing his 12th Test and Burns his 13th, while Pope returns at No6 after two unsuccessful Tests against India in 2018.
Sibley, who left Surrey two years ago and has since been piling on the runs for Warwickshire, is making his international debut.
Three of the last four men capped by England as opening batsmen Burns, Jason Roy and Sibley went to Whitgift School in Croydon, South London.
Roy and Surrey seamer Matthew Dunn were joint best men when Burns was married last month.
While Roy was chosen in the hope he would bring his aggressive one-day intent to Test cricket, Sibley is more of a patient accumulator.
Burns explained: Jasons main grounding is white-ball cricket and I think he and Sibs are slightly different in style. Sibs is more traditional in terms of opening the batting.
His concentration and determination are really big strengths. He likes getting batting time, he can do it for days and hes willing to grind bowlers down and not necessarily race away at the start of an innings.
Hes prepared to wait and pick off bowlers.
Sibley opened with Burns in both his Surrey 2nd XI and 1st XI debuts and now they will be together for his England debut.
Burns recalled: Thats pretty cool. I can remember driving him to most of those early games and Im very proud of where hes reached particularly having left Surrey. Ive known him since he was 12 or 13.
