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Stewart ready for farewell
Stewart will bid farewell to Test cricket at his home ground
Alec Stewart insists his desire to succeed is undimmed as he approaches the final Test of his career.
The 40-year-old wicket-keeper begins his 133rd Test - more than any other England player - at his home ground The Oval against South Africa on Thursday.
"As far as I'm concerned I've not lost the edge or the desire because if I had, the way I am, I'd have packed it in," said Stewart.
"You will still see me preparing exactly the same way for this game and the previous four games as I did for the previous 120-odd.
"I've always been one who has left nothing to chance. As far as I'm concerned I've done everything possible to succeed in this series."
Many observers believe Stewart would have scored more than his 8425 runs - at a respectable average of 39.55 - had he not kept wicket for the majority of his career.
He has scored only 144 runs in seven innings this series and has registered only one century in his last 54 Test innings - figures which would suggest his abilities are on the wane.
"I'd rather have scored more runs - you can never score too many," he conceded. "But I honestly don't feel I've lost that edge."
Stewart said he will take six weeks after the match ends to decide whether to continue his career at county level with Surrey or to work full-time in the media and the hospitality business.
The emergence of Jonathan Batty as his understudy at Surrey leaves the club with a tough decision whether to offer Stewart a new contract when his England deal expires.
"All I've known since I left school is playing cricket so moving into a new career is a challenge for me and I have to weigh all that up," Stewart added.
"I've got to work out if just playing county cricket without the bonus of playing international cricket is worth it and I've got to ask myself why am I still playing?"
"I think I will miss the challenge of playing with and against the very best players and going out in front of 30,000 people and trying to perform and putting yourself on the line.
"That's probably why I'm still playing at the age of 40 because I actually enjoy doing that and I enjoy that challenge. When that's gone that will possibly be the one thing I will miss."
Stewart's batting best
At the end of his 13-year England career, BBC Sport looks back at six matches where Alec Stewart's batting came to the fore.
113 not out v Sri Lanka, Only Test, Lord's, 1991
It took Stewart 14 Tests to reach three figures
Stewart did not make it into three figures until his 14th Test, but his century was key in a 137-run victory over a side not considered worthy of more than one Test.
In humid conditions at Lord's, an England side that had just tied a five-match series with West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals.
But Stewart, batting first wicket down, kept his head to hit an unbeaten 113, the vast majority of England's first innings 282.
Helped by some good luck and overcoming a rain-hit first evening, he shared a 63-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Jack Russell, the man with whom he would tussle for the wicket-keeper's gloves for the next five years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
190 v Pakistan, 1st Test, Edgbaston, 1992
Stewart's highest Test score came in a match ruined by rain, at the start of an attritional series against Pakistan.
With the first day at Edgbaston washed out, the tourists continued their first innings into the fourth day.
Just 11 wickets fell in the entire match but Stewart scored the best of four centuries, staying at the crease for just under six hours.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
118 & 143 v West Indies, 4th Test, Bridgetown, 1993/94
The West Indies pace attack were conquered twice in Bridgetown
In arguably his finest match for England, Stewart became the first Englishman to score centuries in both innings of a Test against West Indies.
Stewart weathered a fearsome pace quartet of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Winston Benjamin and Kenny Benjamin to share an opening stand of 171 with Mike Atherton after the tourists had been put into bat.
Graham Thorpe was his partner in the second innings as England compiled a total big enough to avoid a series sweep, gaining a 208-run victory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
164 v South Africa, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, 1998
England were 1-0 down in the series against South Africa going into the third Test and Stewart was under fire as captain.
Things looked even worse as England were bowled out for 183 in reply to the tourists' 552 and forced to follow on.
But Stewart rose to the occasion in a second innings where Mike Atherton, his partner in a third-wicket stand of 226, was the only other batsman to pass 50.
Stewart was at the crease for two minutes short of seven hours, setting up a draw that turned the series around, resulting in England's first victorious five-Test series at home for 13 years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
107 v Australia, 4th Test, Melbourne, 1998/99
Stewart's finest hour as England captain was down in part to his first innings century.
Freed of the gloves after strugging with the bat for much of the series, Stewart finally scored a ton against Australia at the 23rd time of asking.
England were 4-2 in the third over after the loss of Atherton and Nasser Hussain, but Stewart hit back in a 119-run partnership with Mark Ramprakash, the only other batsman to reach a half-century.
Stewart took just 142 balls over his ton, but it was a magnificent bowling performance from Darren Gough and Dean Headley that secured a famous 12-run win.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
105 v West Indies, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, 2000
Stewart's 100th Test brought another 100
Stewart's ability to rise to the occasion was proven beyond doubt as he became the fourth player to score a century in his 100th Test, coincidentally for the patriotic batsman on the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.
But more importantly for England, Stewart rescued England from a precarious 17-3 after Courtney Walsh had knocked over the top order.
Stewart shared a 179-run partnership with Marcus Trescothick, allowing the debutant opener to drop anchor while he made merry against the tourists' back-up bowlers.
Stewart will bid farewell to Test cricket at his home ground
Alec Stewart insists his desire to succeed is undimmed as he approaches the final Test of his career.
The 40-year-old wicket-keeper begins his 133rd Test - more than any other England player - at his home ground The Oval against South Africa on Thursday.
"As far as I'm concerned I've not lost the edge or the desire because if I had, the way I am, I'd have packed it in," said Stewart.
"You will still see me preparing exactly the same way for this game and the previous four games as I did for the previous 120-odd.
"I've always been one who has left nothing to chance. As far as I'm concerned I've done everything possible to succeed in this series."
Many observers believe Stewart would have scored more than his 8425 runs - at a respectable average of 39.55 - had he not kept wicket for the majority of his career.
He has scored only 144 runs in seven innings this series and has registered only one century in his last 54 Test innings - figures which would suggest his abilities are on the wane.
"I'd rather have scored more runs - you can never score too many," he conceded. "But I honestly don't feel I've lost that edge."
Stewart said he will take six weeks after the match ends to decide whether to continue his career at county level with Surrey or to work full-time in the media and the hospitality business.
The emergence of Jonathan Batty as his understudy at Surrey leaves the club with a tough decision whether to offer Stewart a new contract when his England deal expires.
"All I've known since I left school is playing cricket so moving into a new career is a challenge for me and I have to weigh all that up," Stewart added.
"I've got to work out if just playing county cricket without the bonus of playing international cricket is worth it and I've got to ask myself why am I still playing?"
"I think I will miss the challenge of playing with and against the very best players and going out in front of 30,000 people and trying to perform and putting yourself on the line.
"That's probably why I'm still playing at the age of 40 because I actually enjoy doing that and I enjoy that challenge. When that's gone that will possibly be the one thing I will miss."
Stewart's batting best
At the end of his 13-year England career, BBC Sport looks back at six matches where Alec Stewart's batting came to the fore.
113 not out v Sri Lanka, Only Test, Lord's, 1991
It took Stewart 14 Tests to reach three figures
Stewart did not make it into three figures until his 14th Test, but his century was key in a 137-run victory over a side not considered worthy of more than one Test.
In humid conditions at Lord's, an England side that had just tied a five-match series with West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals.
But Stewart, batting first wicket down, kept his head to hit an unbeaten 113, the vast majority of England's first innings 282.
Helped by some good luck and overcoming a rain-hit first evening, he shared a 63-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Jack Russell, the man with whom he would tussle for the wicket-keeper's gloves for the next five years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
190 v Pakistan, 1st Test, Edgbaston, 1992
Stewart's highest Test score came in a match ruined by rain, at the start of an attritional series against Pakistan.
With the first day at Edgbaston washed out, the tourists continued their first innings into the fourth day.
Just 11 wickets fell in the entire match but Stewart scored the best of four centuries, staying at the crease for just under six hours.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
118 & 143 v West Indies, 4th Test, Bridgetown, 1993/94
The West Indies pace attack were conquered twice in Bridgetown
In arguably his finest match for England, Stewart became the first Englishman to score centuries in both innings of a Test against West Indies.
Stewart weathered a fearsome pace quartet of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Winston Benjamin and Kenny Benjamin to share an opening stand of 171 with Mike Atherton after the tourists had been put into bat.
Graham Thorpe was his partner in the second innings as England compiled a total big enough to avoid a series sweep, gaining a 208-run victory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
164 v South Africa, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, 1998
England were 1-0 down in the series against South Africa going into the third Test and Stewart was under fire as captain.
Things looked even worse as England were bowled out for 183 in reply to the tourists' 552 and forced to follow on.
But Stewart rose to the occasion in a second innings where Mike Atherton, his partner in a third-wicket stand of 226, was the only other batsman to pass 50.
Stewart was at the crease for two minutes short of seven hours, setting up a draw that turned the series around, resulting in England's first victorious five-Test series at home for 13 years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
107 v Australia, 4th Test, Melbourne, 1998/99
Stewart's finest hour as England captain was down in part to his first innings century.
Freed of the gloves after strugging with the bat for much of the series, Stewart finally scored a ton against Australia at the 23rd time of asking.
England were 4-2 in the third over after the loss of Atherton and Nasser Hussain, but Stewart hit back in a 119-run partnership with Mark Ramprakash, the only other batsman to reach a half-century.
Stewart took just 142 balls over his ton, but it was a magnificent bowling performance from Darren Gough and Dean Headley that secured a famous 12-run win.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
105 v West Indies, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, 2000
Stewart's 100th Test brought another 100
Stewart's ability to rise to the occasion was proven beyond doubt as he became the fourth player to score a century in his 100th Test, coincidentally for the patriotic batsman on the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.
But more importantly for England, Stewart rescued England from a precarious 17-3 after Courtney Walsh had knocked over the top order.
Stewart shared a 179-run partnership with Marcus Trescothick, allowing the debutant opener to drop anchor while he made merry against the tourists' back-up bowlers.
