Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart goes on the attack after miserable run in Bob Willis Trophy continues

BY MARCUS HOOK

Surrey’s director of cricket Alec Stewart was highly critical of his side  following this week’s 17-run loss to Kent in the Bob Willis Trophy.

The former England captain reckons, with four defeats out of four, the time has come for some honesty.

“I am not about losing, but everyone at this club – and I mean everyone, including me – now need to reflect on this,” said Stewart.

“What we are producing on the field is nowhere near the levels we expect from ourselves.

“Yes, we have a good number of England players unavailable and yes, we’ve also got injuries to other players. I don’t care. We know they’re not here.

“But we still had a good enough team out there, or should have, to have won that game. Not to chase down 192 on a very good surface is unacceptable.

“Ben Foakes showed everyone else how to bat.

“He just lined up every ball he faced and worked out whether to defend or score from it.

“Other people needed to look at Foakes. Other players in that team are good enough to do it, but they also need to look at themselves. We also have to be honest, otherwise we won’t learn and improve.”

Even though Surrey did well to come back from a 64-run deficit on the first innings, by bowling Kent out for 127, Stewart added: “It’s been four bad results. I can just about accept losing to Essex. But we should have drawn against Middlesex and Hampshire, and we should have beaten Kent here.

“We’re all in this together. Coaches, management, players, we’re all in this together. No excuses. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. It hasn’t been good enough. When times are tough, and this is tough, don’t worry about that, honesty is crucial.

“Individuals have got to look at their own game, coaches have to look at how they coach and I’ve got to look at how I do my job. If we kid ourselves, we’re just going to get the same results.

“Losing four on the bounce is something I’m not used to and I hope no one in our dressing room wants to get used to either.

“What we’ve seen so far, in the first month of the season, we know it isn’t good enough. But now all of us -and I keep saying it’s all of us – have got to make sure we turn it around.

“Change of format, Twenty20, again it’s going to be tough. I know that, but we’ll also find out what people are really about.”