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Alec Stewart (left) with Mike Loftus, chairman of Clydesdale Bank Thames Valley

THE most-capped English Test cricketer proved to be a big hit at a Basingstoke business event - and he took time out to give the thumbs up to this week's Hampshire v Durham cricket match at May's Bounty.

Alec Stewart, with 133 international Test caps to his credit, was guest speaker at a business lunch at Clydesdale Bank's Financial Solutions Centre in Basing View.

Prior to the lunch, Mr Stewart, who is a regular cricket analyst on BBC Radio 5 Live and who appears on BBC TV and Sky Sports, said he was glad to see that Basingstoke is this week hosting a first-class Hampshire County Cricket Club game for the first time since 2000.

He said: "I think it's good to take cricket into the counties as long as the facilities are first-class standard, and by that I mean the quality of the wicket, the quality of the practice facilities and the quality of the dressing room areas. That's key, so you're not belittling or downgrading first-class cricket.

"Obviously, Hampshire's Rose Bowl is a relatively new ground, so you are not going to get like for like, but so long as you are not dropping from what is expected from a first-class ground, I think it's great that Hampshire are playing at May's Bounty."

The former England and Surrey skipper has fond memories of when he played at the Basingstoke ground.

"I played a club game there against Basingstoke and North Hampshire Cricket Club when I was with Malden Wanderers - I'm going back to when I was perhaps 16 - and I've played at least one county game if not two at Basingstoke. I seem to remember we got turned over in two-and-a-half days by Malcolm Marshall," recalled Mr Stewart.

Mr Stewart said there are many parallels between professional cricket and business.

"As with cricket, you want success in business and that's what you strive for," he said. "It's about having a plan and making sure you can implement that plan so that, with the end result, you see improvement and you see success."

Mr Stewart said teamwork is also critical to success where everyone has a part to play.

"In cricket, you have to make sure you perform and if you do that, you're helping your team.

"If you, as an individual in business, are performing well, then obviously you are helping that business."

Delighted with the lunch, Clydesdale Bank Thames Valley chairman Mike Loftus said: "It was a great way for us to bring together members, professional partners and people we like to do business with to network and meet one of Clydesdale Bank's ambassadors, Alec Stewart. We all enjoyed his anecdotes about his cricket career.

"Also, we've got a nice boardroom here and we like to show off our facilities to demonstrate that banking is a bit different with us - we have a different proposition from other banks."

8:34am Thursday 28th August 2008

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