Surrey bid Brown farewell

Ali Brown is most fondly remembered for his stunning exploits in one-day cricket

Ali Brown’s 20-year career with Surrey is almost over after the club confirmed he will leave at the end of the season.

The former England batsman, who joined the county in 1988, will not have his contract renewed when the current campaign draws to a close later this month.

Brown, 38, departs Surrey as one of their most distinguished players, having scored 14,957 runs at an average of 43.35 since making his first-class debut in 1992.

However, it is in the one-day arena that Brown made his name.

He smashed an astonishing 268 off just 160 balls against Glamorgan in the 2002 C&G Trophy - the highest individual innings in limited-overs cricket, for which he had the ‘Ali Brown 268 Bar’ at the Brit Oval named in his honour.

He also helped set another record, hitting 176 off 97 deliveries as Surrey made a staggering 496 for four - the highest one-day total in history - against Gloucestershire in the Friends Provident Trophy last year.

Allied to 44 first-class centuries, Brown scored 19 hundreds in one-day cricket and played 16 one-day internationals for England.

He has found chances at Surrey increasingly hard to come by this season, making just six LV County Championship appearances.

Cricket manager Alan Butcher paid tribute to a player who was central to Surrey’s three championship triumphs in four seasons from 1999, as well as five one-day trophies between 1997 and 2003.

“Alistair Brown has been a great servant of Surrey County Cricket Club and played a leading role during his successful career with us,” said Butcher. “We all wish Alistair every success for the future.”

Chief executive Paul Sheldon added: “Ali Brown has been one of the most prodigious run-makers for Surrey in recent years.

“His record in one-day cricket is almost unparalleled and the club owe him a great debt of thanks for all that he has achieved.”