Information on Loughborough

Loughboroughs Spriegal gets senior Surrey cricket call-up

Posted on 30/05/2008

Matt Spriegal

Loughborough University Cricket Centre of Excellence (UCCE) captain Matt Spriegal made his debut for the Surrey senior side this week in a pair of Friends Provident Trophy fixtures against county sides Essex and Sussex.

The 21-year-old sports science student bowled eight economical overs against Essex on Sunday (25 May 2008) and batted at number three against Sussex on Wednesday (28 May 2008), scoring 17 runs in a rain-affected match.

Spriegal has also been named in the squad for Surrey’s LV County Championship match against Somerset at Whitgift starting today (30 May -2 June).

The Loughborough captain first caught the eyes of the Surrey selectors at the start of the season when the University faced the county side at the Oval. Spriegal scored half a century to impress Surrey coach Alan Butcher and captain Mark Butcher.

Loughborough Cricket Performance Manager Alexia Walker is delighted with Spriegal’s call-up, which highlights the quality of the University cricket programme.

“Matt has been performing so well for us and it’s great news Surrey have called him up on the back of his recent efforts,” she said. “It’s unusual for someone of his age to burst into a senior side and it’s very rare for it to happen during the season.

“He is a great example of what the UCCE system is about. We support students in their education whilst giving them the skills to go on to become a professional cricketer. Matt’s call-up proves the system is working.”

Spriegal made his first class debut for Loughborough against Somerset in April 2007 and has previously toured with the Surrey U19s, British Universities and MCC Universities.