Jade Dernbach wants Surrey to be as hot as the weather as they open their Vitality Blast T20 campaign this week.

Surrey’s new captain in the instant game, he went into the opening two matches of the campaign – against Middlesex at Lord’s on Thursday and Kent at the Kia Oval 24 hours later – with a depleted squad beset by international calls.

But Dernbach is determined that Surrey should follow up their barnstorming form in the Specsavers County Championship – victory over Yorkshire at Scarborough last week making it five wins out of seven and putting them 22 points ahead of the rest – by making a flying start in a competition where they were beaten in the quarter-finals last year.

“The weather is perfect and I can’t wait to lead an amazing bunch of lads – we are hoping to go all the way this year,” said Dernbach. “It’s a great week to be starting the Blast.”

He gained experience in the role when Gareth Batty was injured last year and when the off-spinner stepped down from the captaincy during the winter, was handed the job while Rory Burns assumed control in the other two competitions.

The depth of Surrey’s squad will be severely tested though, Australian pair Aaron Finch and Nic Maddinson being absent playing a tri-series in Zimbabwe while Jason Roy and Sam Curran are on England duty, the latter having been called up as a replacement for his injured brother Tom (side strain).

But with 14 matches to qualify from the South Group, they have some leeway, with Finch – who struck a new world record highest T20 score of 172 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday – and Maddinson due back for next week’s clashes against Essex (July 12, home) and Sussex at Hove a day later.

Making a strong start would also maintain the momentum set by four successive victories in the Championship, which takes a break before Surrey head to Trent Bridge on July 22 to meet nearest challengers Nottinghamshire, who have played a game more.

It is a wonderful position for Burns and his men to have established, albeit with half the programme remaining, three successive triumphs by an innings followed by an equally impressive effort in coming back from a 75-run deficit on first innings at Scarborough to beat Yorkshire by seven wickets.

Morne Morkel’s 5-39 led the turnaround, dismissing the hosts for 152, before Burns (97) and Scott Borthwick (62) saw Surrey comfortably to their target of 228.

The big South African, signed on Kolpak terms in April, was delighted with his maiden five-wicket haul for the county and admitted: “There’s always added pressure coming into a club – you want to perform and do well, so I’m very happy I got the results.”

But he pointed to the efforts of fellow attack members Rikki Clarke, Sam Curran, Ryan Patel and Dernbach as well, Surrey having achieved two of their wins before Morkel recovered from a rib injury which delayed his debut.

One area which will concern them is that Morkel, Dernbach and opening batsman Mark Stoneman have all suffered disciplinary reprimands this season – the latter pair at Scarborough – and further infractions could cost a points deduction.

Director of cricket Alec Stewart has secured the return of South African batsman Dean Elgar for the final five Championship matches.