Jade Dernbach hails Surrey coaching duo for FLt20 run

Surrey pace bowler Jade Dernbach says Alec Stewart and Stuart Barnes deserve credit for masterminding their run to FLt20 finals day.

The duo took charge after Chris Adams was relieved of his duties in June.

England international Dernbach told BBC London: "They came in with some very specific ideas and went about implementing them straight away.

"There is a lot of praise to be given those two, who had a clear idea about how to go about the competition."

The 27-year-old continued: "As a group we have been lucky enough to go out and produce some results for them.

"It is tough to lose a coach midway through a season but the energy and enthusiasm they brought for the game has given us a massive lift."

Former England captain Stewart is combining his role as executive director with overseeing professional cricket at The Oval, while Barnes, formerly the fast bowling coach, is supervising the first team on a day-to-day basis.

"I didn't really set targets - we just needed to see some improvement," Stewart told BBC London.

"We have beaten good sides along the way and have got some very good players and a good strategy,

"The fact we have got to finals day is a small achievement in itself, but you don't get judged on getting to finals day - you need to try and win something."

Surrey won the inaugural Twenty20 Cup in 2003, but this year is the first time they have reached finals day since 2006.

They made it through to the last four after finishing second in the South Group and beating Somerset in the quarter-finals.

"It means an awful lot to us," Dernbach said.

"It has been a lot of hard work, preparation and a lot of good results we have produced to get to this phase.

"The South Group has been really tough over the years and it has proved so again this year, with three teams from it at finals day this year."

Surrey will be without captain Gareth Batty after the 35-year-old was handed a two-game suspension for breaches of the domestic game's disciplinary code in the win over Somerset.

"As a team and a squad we are devastated," Dernbach said.

"He has been such a great leader and is a fantastic man in general. To lose him is tough.

"It was a hard fought game against Somerset and sometimes emotions spill over. He has paid a tough price for that

"He will be there with us on Saturday and we sort of owe it to him, given how much he has put into us as a team, to produce a result."

Dernbach is Surrey's leading wicket-taker in the tournament this season with 16 victims and after being left out of the England squad for the Champions Trophy, the Johannesburg-born right-armer hopes he can now force his way back into the international reckoning.

"It was important for me, once I got released from that set-up in the last series, that I came back and really worked hard on the parts of my game I thought needed working on," he said.

"It was about being consistent with my results, figures and what I could produce.

"They obviously know I am capable of doing things at that level and for me it was a matter of consistent performances.

"There is a lot of one-day cricket coming up towards the latter part of the year against Australia and I'd hope that my name is there or thereabouts.

"Going to finals day and producing a win for us, and maybe a trophy, would do me no harm."