Gareth Batty commends 'irreplaceable' Alec Stewart as Surrey clinch third consecutive title

Surrey's head coach Gareth Batty has dedicated his team's third consecutive County Championship title to the outgoing director of cricket, Alec Stewart. Batty praised Stewart as "irreplaceable" and stated that it would be "delusional" to think that anyone could match the level of influence he has had at the Kia Oval over his five decades with the club.

Surrey, who beat Durham by ten wickets on Thursday afternoon to put themselves on the brink of the title, were crowned as champions shortly after 11am on Friday morning, once their nearest challengers Somerset had slipped to defeat against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

That result leaves them 26 points clear at the top of Division One ahead of next week's final-round trip to Chelmsford, but the celebrations were already beginning at the Kia Oval on Friday, after the club's 23rd county title.

"It's a whole squad coming together and putting in a heck of a lot of work over a long period of time," Batty told the BBC. "To do it three times in a row is very satisfying. We shall enjoy today and then start the hard work tomorrow to do it all again.

"Every time you get over the line it's the hardest one, because other teams are trying to close the gap, trying to improve their squads, improve their players.

"I feel like we are still keeping some distance, in a healthy, confident way, not in an arrogant way, because we're working incredibly hard trying to improve our performances year in and year out."

Though Surrey's pre-eminence on the county circuit is clear, this latest victory was not without its challenges, not least when their shock loss to Somerset at Taunton had closed the gap at the top to eight points.

A major hurdle came in the form of international call-ups, with four Surrey players featuring in both England's Test and white-ball squads - which was both a credit to the calibre of player emerging from the club, but also a stretch even on their well-resourced squad.

"In the T20 Blast we used 25 players in 15 games, and in the Championship it was 24 or 25. Some counties don't have that size of squad," Batty said. "So to have the rotation of players, to have the tenacity, the belief, the skill set, to come in and still be playing as a wonderful XI, is a credit to every single person. It's the staff, it's the players, it's the drive."

Rory Burns and Ryan Patel celebrate together

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Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Stewart, 61, made his Surrey debut in 1981, and has been a near-constant presence at the club ever since. However, he announced at the start of the season that he would be standing down as director of cricket after 11 years in the role, having taken a leave of absence in January 2023 to care for his wife Lynn, who has been undergoing cancer treatment.

"He is irreplaceable," Batty said. "Anyone who thinks they can do what Alec Stewart has done here is delusional. He is the heartbeat, he is the brains - everything here comes through Alec.

"You don't often get a cuddle and a bit of a tear from Stewie, but when the Lancs boys got the final wicket there was a big outburst of emotion. It was wonderful to see an iconic English cricketer get some rewards for his dedication and the club will forever be thankful to him."

Stewart, for his part, promised that he would not be a stranger at The Oval despite entering retirement.

"I'll still be around the place, sat in the stands watching," he told the BBC. "If I'm involved in some capacity, very much in the background, then fantastic, because you know what this club means to me and my family.

"But it's about the boys. I thanked each and every one of them. Three in three hasn't happened since Yorkshire in the 1960s, it doesn't happen too often and that's what I'm proud of."