Alec Stewart led the tributes to “great mate” Graham Thorpe, who has died aged 55.

The left-hander played 100 Tests for England, plus 82 one-day internationals, and was awarded the MBE following his retirement from playing in 2005, going on to a highly-successful coaching career.

Stewart and Thorpe shared many valuable partnerships for Surrey and England, not least a scintillating 150 against West Indies in Barbados in 1994 which pushed them towards a remarkable victory.

“Having known Thorpey since he was 16 years old, I’m absolutely devastated and heartbroken to have lost my great mate,” said Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket.

“As a cricketer, his record speaks for itself and will rightly be remembered as one of Surrey and England’s greatest players.

“As a person he was even more special. My thoughts are with his wife Amanda and children and all those who were fortunate enough to have known him. RIP you little legend.”

Thorpe’s nuggety strokeplay saw him likened to Australia’s Allan Border, given he often found himself in the midst of a crisis, trying to propel England to some kind of competitive score.

He won three County Championship titles with Surrey plus several one-day titles, retiring after scoring 21,937 first-class runs at 45, 6,744 coming in Tests at 44, and taking 290 catches. There were also 82 one-day internationals and for several years it was impossible to imagine an England side without him.

Thorpe’s success as a coach, following his playing career, owed much to understanding the struggles of players rising through the game as well as a superb technical knowledge.

His death put Surrey’s on-field fortunes into perspective.

Their Metro Bank Cup ambitions had always been modest because of the absence of 15 players to international calls and the Hundred.

Having started with defeats against Yorkshire and Glamorgan, they followed it with last Tuesday’s 37-run reverse to Gloucestershire – all three at the Kia Oval – but came close to a breakthrough when they visited Warwickshire at Rugby School on Friday.

That was despite conceding 311 for nine, the Bears owing much to a fifth-wicket partnership worth 100 in 14 overs between Michael Burgess (60) and Chris Benjamin (75). Seamer James Taylor and leg-spinner Cameron Steel finished with three wickets.

Dominic Sibley’s superb 149 from 142 balls was responsible for Surrey getting within three runs. His only substantial assistance came from Ben Geddes (62) in a second-wicket alliance worth 124 but final pair Nathan Barnwell (13 not out) and Taylor gave their hosts a mighty scare by taking 16 off the final over.

Nottinghamshire proved tougher opposition at Guildford on Sunday, Ben Slater’s 164 leading the way to a mighty 378 for six. Conor McKerr took three wickets but his ten overs yielded 78.

Sibley was in form again, cracking 72, and McKerr crashed 71 from 36 deliveries on a day when Woodbridge Road ground’s perimeter fences were frequently tested. But Surrey could only reply with 271 all out to lose by 107 runs.

By Richard Spiller