Edrich elected as Surrey president

John Edrich, the former England opener, has replaced Richard Stilgoe as the president of Surrey County Cricket Club, while Roger Harman has taken over from Micky Stewart as chairman of cricket, following the club's AGM at The Oval on Tuesday.

Edrich, who has been deputy president of the club for the past year, was elected unanimously. During his long and distinguished career at Surrey as a player (1958-1978), Edrich amassed 29,305 runs, placing him in fourth position on the all-time list.

"I feel very privileged to become the president of the club I love," said Edrich. "Progress at the Brit Oval has been excellent over the past few years and it is my intention to help the club continue to drive forward in the years to come."

Harman was equally thrilled at his appointment. "It is a great honour to be asked to carry out this role," he said. "Ever since I joined as a player here I have always had the club's best interests at heart and I'll be looking to play as big a role as I can in its continued success."

Harman's affiliation to Surrey started off during his playing days, from 1961 to 1968. As a left-arm orthodox bowler, he played in 141 matches and took 369 wickets at an average of 23.59. He also joined the Club's General Committee in 1995.

Not to be confused with the role of club chairman, which is carried out by David Stewart, Harman will work alongside the coach Alan Butcher and his son and club captain, Mark, to help Surrey achieve first-ivision status for next year.