Surrey and England legend Alec Stewart insists progress not trophies should be skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown’s priority at the Oval this season.

The Lions face another season in the second tier of the LV= County Championship this summer having won just one four-day match last season and failed miserably in all other forms of the game.

Cricket manager Chris Adams - and his all star coaching team of Graham Thorpe, Martin Bicknell and Stewart, has committed to developing the next generation of stars as he bids to recapture the glory years of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Worcestershire’s Gareth Batty and Steven Davies have been drafted in over the summer, along with former England Test star Chris Tremlett, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Anjum and India’s Piyush Chawla.

While a lot is expected of youngsters Hamilton-Brown, Chris Jordan, Laurie Evans, Matt Spriegel and Jade Dernbach after establishing themselves as first-team regulars last summer.

Surrey announced record pre-tax profits £750,000 this week and Stewart, who lamented the fact Surrey have won only the Division Two title since 2003, reckons tangible improvement on the field is the least supporters should expect.

“I’m not going to start saying we must win this competition or lift that trophy, I just want to see progress,” said the batting and wicketkeeping coach.

“What has been disappointing is that for a number of years we haven’t been competing for the top trophies and we haven’t produced any England cricketers.

“The structure has been put in place that has increased our chances of becoming a strong side again and that is the aim, but you still have to earn the right to be successful.”

Stewart was speaking after watching Surrey TV presenter Mark Church and first team analyst Steven Rudkin visit 45 Surrey focus clubs in 24 hours to raise more than £1,000 in aid of Sport Relief and the Surrey Cricket Foundation.

And the 46-year-old, who played 133 Test matches for England, reckons it is the job of every club in the county to do their bit in making the Lions a force to be feared.

“I want to see club’s helping to produce quality cricketers capable of playing for Surrey and England,” he added.

“Yes they want to win the Surrey Championship and win matches, but it is a huge honour to have an England player or professional cricketer come through your system and that should be the aim.

“It is up to each club to contribute.”