Surrey will launch their bid for a fourth successive County Championship crown back where they finished the last one.

Rory Burns and his men open their 2025 campaign against Essex at Chelmsford, where they played out a rain-hit draw in September with their hat-trick having already been assured in a competition which has a new sponsor next year, Rothesay.

Tom Westley’s side, who finished fourth, represent a formidable first hurdle, and a week later Surrey will host Hampshire – runners-up – at the Kia Oval, where they have beaten them heavily for the last four years.

A trip down the M23 to newly-promoted Sussex, and Somerset’s visit to London, complete the April programme.

Surrey supporters will doubtless be delighted that their programme includes taking on Yorkshire at Scarborough in late July, their fifth visit to the seaside resort in just eight years, followed a week later by taking on Durham at Chester-le-Street.

The four-day campaign finishes, as in 2023, with the return against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl, where Surrey have a very ordinary record in recent times.

Semi-finalists in the Vitality Blast for the past two years, they open their bid to improve on that against Somerset at Taunton on May 30.

There will be two Metro Bank One Day Cup matches at Guildford, against Leicestershire on Wednesday, August 6 and Gloucestershire two days later.

Four Surrey players were picked up at the Indian Premier League auction. Will Jacks and Reece Topley will join Mumbai Indians while Sam Curran and Jamie Overton were recruited by Chennai Super Kings.

Key: RCC1 = Rothesay County Championship Division 1; T20 = Vitality T20 Blast; MBC = Metro Bank One Day Cup (50 overs).

All home matches at the Kia Oval unless stated.

April – Fri 4-7: Essex (RCC1, Chelmsford); Fri 11-14: Hampshire (RCC1, home); Fri 18-21: Sussex (RCC1, Hove); Fri 25-28: Somerset (RCC1, home).

May – Fri 9-12: Warwickshire (RCC1, Edgbaston); Fri 16-19: Yorkshire (RCC1, home); Fri 23-26: Essex (RCC1, home); Fri 30: Somerset (T20, Taunton).

June – Tues 3: Glamorgan (T20, Cardiff); Thurs 5: Hampshire (T20, home); Fri 6: Kent (T20, Canterbury); Thurs 12: Kent (T20, home); Tues 17: Hampshire (T20, Utilita Bowl); Wed 18: Sussex (T20, home); Fri 20: Middlesex (T20, home); Sun 22-25: Worcestershire (RCC1, Worcester); Sun 29-July 2: Durham (RCC1, home).

July – Sun 6: Essex (T20, home); Wed 9: Gloucestershire (T20, Bristol); Fri 11: Glamorgan (T20, home); Sun 13: Somerset (T20, home); Wed 16: Middlesex (T20, Lord’s); Fri 18: Sussex (T20, Hove); Tues 22-25: Yorkshire (RCC1, Scarborough); Tues 29-August 1: Durham (RCC1, Riverside).

August – Wed 6: Leicestershire (MBC, Guildford); Fri 8: Gloucestershire (MBC, Guildford); Wed 13: Glamorgan (MBC, home); Fri 15: Essex (MBC, Chelmsford); Mon 18: Hampshire (MBC, home); Fri 22: Derbyshire (MBC, Derby); Fri 24: Nottinghamshire (MBC, Trent Bridge); Tues 26: Worcestershire (MBC, Worcester); Thurs 28: MBC quarter-finals; Sun 31: MBC semi-finals.

September – Wed 3/Fri 5/Sat 6: T20 quarter-finals; Mon 8: Warwickshire (RCC1, home); Sat 13: T20 finals day (Edgbaston); Mon 15: Nottinghamshire (RCC1, home); Sat 20: MBC final (Trent Bridge); Wed 24-27: Hampshire (RCC1, Utilita Bowl).