The Oval already feels like home...
Surrey v Middlesex Fri, May 5, The Oval, London, 11:00
MARK Stoneman has surprised even himself with his fast start to life at Surrey and that swift progression from newcomer to fan favourite could continue at the Oval today.
Bragging rights in London are on the line for the first time this season when Stoneman and Co welcome county champions Middlesex for a One-Day Cup clash.
Both sides have won one from their first three in the competition to sit in the middle of a clustered pack in the South group.
Stoneman has already made two List A half-centuries for his new employers to go with two red-ball tons.
And the former Durham man admits he has adapted easily both on and off the pitch.
“It’s been brilliant, better than I could ever have hoped or ever expected,” he said.
“I have got used to the change in lifestyle – getting the tube to training – but the lads have welcomed me, it’s been an easy environment to join.
“The scale of the place is so different, the size of the stadium. It’s so busy.
“But that professional organisation means that as players we have no excuses and that is what you want – to just go out there and focus on performing.
“If I was going to make a change to chase my dream and become the best player I can be – this was the place.
“But I was given no guarantees on signing here, I knew I had to come down and prove myself in what is such a talented squad where 15 or 16 guys should all be playing every single game and we want to win every competition we enter.
“A couple of results have not gone our way in the one-dayers, That Somerset result was a bit of a freak. But everybody is beating everybody in this South group it looks like.
“Middlesex is a massive local derby with London bragging rights, we need a couple of wins to get back in the mix.”
Stoneman captained Durham to the crown in 2014 while Surrey have finished as runners-up in each of the last two years.
Middlesex, meanwhile, have not made the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup since 2009 but after an impressive win over Hampshire last Wednesday, manof-the-match Toby Roland-Jones is feeling confident.
“There were plenty of positives and plenty of guys in good form so, hopefully, we can take that into the next game,” he said.
“You want to be winning more 50-50 games than not, and it was pleasing to put it right straight away.
“Now we want to put together a run of form and snowball.”