Surrey will once again start as favourites to win the County Championship. If the bookies are proved right, it will be club's third title in a row – a feat not achieved since the late 1960s when Yorkshire were dominant.

And despite losing Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart to the central contract system, few would bet against Surrey challenging for the title once again, particularly following the winter signings of Mark Ramprakash and Ed Giddins. Ramprakash left Middlesex under a cloud while Giddins was released by Warwickshire at the end of last season.

Manager-coach at The Oval, Keith Medlycott, said: "We've strengthened our squad - we want to keep trying to win competitions.

"But there are a lot of good sides out there; Lancashire for one with Muralitharan - they've got quality in him. Yorkshire have been close, Leicestershire are always there. All we are doing is trying to maintain our strength at the top of the tree and things are looking very positive.

"Ramprakash has scored 20,000 runs at an average of 50 in first-class cricket. It's a fantastic signing for us and we hope he can continue to score the same volume of runs at Surrey, and he's hungry to play for his country.

"Mark is a fine batsman and no one should doubt that at all. People forget that in his last 15 months for England he was averaging over 40. His first-class career is second to none."

Medlycott is also delighted with the signing of Giddins. He said: "Giddins is one of the better swing bowlers in the country if overhead conditions allow. He's a potential match-winner; in English conditions it's been proved what he can do.

"They will be part of a dressing room who have always got to make certain they play to a high standard because of the quality competition. We are in a nice healthy position; expectation is high.

"We've been classed as favourites for last three or four years and luckily for us we are living up to that in the longer game."

Medlycott added: "We are desperate to win the championship three years in a row. We've got players at the pinnacle of their careers, playing at the peak of their abilities. They love winning."

Surrey will also be boosted in late June by the return of Pakistan spin ace Saqlain Mushtaq.

Squad: R Amin, G Batty, J Batty, M Bicknell, I Bishop, A Brown, G Butcher, M Butcher, M Carberry, E Giddins, C Greenidge, A Hollioake (captain), B Hollioake, T Murtagh, Saqlain Mushtaq, M Patterson, J Porter, M Ramprakash, J Ratcliffe, I Salisbury, P Sampson, B Scott, Nadeem Shahid, A Stewart, G Thorpe, A Tudor, I Ward.

Overseas: Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan).

In: M Ramprakash (Middlesex), E Giddins (Warwickshire), B Scott.

Out: K Barrett.

© CricInfo Ltd.