De Bruyn had 100 per cent Surrey record – and reckons “comfortable” environment is key

BY MARCUS HOOK

Not many overseas players boast a 100 per cent winning record, but South African batsman Theunis De Bruyn’s two-match stint with Surrey coincided with the Oval outfit going 22-points clear at the top of the County Championship.

De Bruyn believes it all stems from the environment created by, amongst others, Surrey’s new skipper Rory Burns.

“I had a great time at Surrey,” said De Bruyn. “It’s a very comfortable changing room to be a part of. 

“You want the senior players and the management to make it comfortable, especially for the younger ones, so they know that they belong. It’s a high pressure sport and if you’ve got a safe haven in your dressing room, it just makes it easier to perform.

“The captain leads from the front. I’ve really been impressed with Burnsey – the way he’s batted, scoring quickly and his positive body language. The bowling attack is really good. 

“It was nice to play alongside Morne, the big man again – putting some demons into the opposition – but Jade Dernbach and Rikki Clarke have also stood up and shown signs of being part of a championship-winning attack. Plus, if you’ve got two 20-year-olds [Ollie Pope and Ryan Patel] putting in match-winning performances, especially in the first division of the championship, that’s awesome. 

“I hope they continue doing well. If they can keep on doing the right things and, when they do go through their tricky times, continue learning as much as possible, you never know. You never know where you can end up, but it’s due to the senior players that they’re being allowed to do well.”