By the time the floodlights illuminated the place, piercing the grim night to give it a little glamour, Stewart was on the committee balcony sharing the vision of Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the board, and the feisty views of Robin Marlar, chairman of Sussex. He likes a chat, does Alec, as you will know from his ball-by-ball commentary on your televisions - ``Bowled Crofteee, c'mon boys, c'mon Corkeee'' - and by the time I got to him he was nicely loosened up.
``I don't go much on the psychological advantage thing, though I've been asked about it daily since Trent Bridge, but I'd say we're on a level playing field now and we have a quiet, firm confidence about winning this match,'' he says.
``It's England's biggest game for years - think how long it's been since we won a major series - but I'm not going to overdo the hype. Clearly, we must win, but equally we mustn't put too much pressure on ourselves. We are still searching for consistency and the knack of winning crucial games. Now is the time to show both are in us.''
``Us'', Team England, led by Alec Stewart MBE, once a flamboyant and too often self-destructing strokemaker, now an efficient but, thankfully, still entertaining batsman; once brazen, almost brash, now a touch more measured and a touch less confrontational. These are the days of a Stewart with smoother edges, the days of a gifted all-round cricketer who is close to the finished article. The once cocky lad has become an impressive man who is stridently aware of his wide responsibility.
``I can honestly say I've enjoyed it. After so many games in a side that has struggled, if we're honest, it's an interesting challenge to make us more successful. We know English cricket has not done itself justice and my aim is to put that right.''
Is it a burden, a rucksack loaded with heartache and frustration?
``No, Athers always said the same, didn't he. That it wasn't a burden, that he enjoyed it. Now I see why. The only change to my life has been the amount of media interviews but they have been organised well, so they haven't been too much of a strain. Only one thing. A day off is a day off - I make sure no one can get to me.''
What about that combination of batting, wicketkeeping and captaincy that has become his unavoidable inheritence?
``To be honest, it's been no problem so far. I've settled in well at No 4, enjoyed it, and the 'keeping's been fine, I think. It's all manageable. Mind you, I'm only four Tests old.''
And some four Tests they've been. From the explosion out of the blocks at Edgbaston, through the humiliation of Lord's, the great escape at Old Trafford and the memorable face-saver at Trent Bridge, with its curtain call of the captain's amazing assault on the South African bowlers.
Had he planned the dazzling array of strokes which left the South Africans beaten and bowed? Had he sent a general's message of warning of what was come at Headingley?
``No, not at first, the only intention was to win. But after 10 minutes or so I began to think it wasn't a bad idea to pass the finish line with a bit of a burst, instead of a stolen single or two.
``At Edgbaston, when we declared first thing on the last morning, I was letting the opposition know that we were going to look to play positive cricket. At Trent Bridge it was nice to be able to play freely and to dominate - that doesn't happen much in Tests.''
These have been the only signs yet of Stewart bringing a different tactical approach to the England captaincy. For the most part, his moves have been middle of the road, neither dull nor smothered with flair or intuition.
``I like to keep control of the game; don't like the opposition getting away. Field placings depend on the quality of the bowling, team selection on the quality of the county game. The discipline in South Africa's bowling is a benchmark for the rest of us and makes them so competitive. If you're going at four an over, you can't experiment much.''
Okay, agreed. But with time and support will his style of leadership, like his batting, be more openly expressive than Michael Atherton's?
``I'm not prepared to compare myself with Athers but I learned a lot from him and I believe he did the job exceptionally well, given all the circumstances. What I will say is that, for a number of reasons, I didn't captain Surrey as well as I could and I plan to be more open with the England job, encouraging people to have opinions and to let them in on my own intentions, so they know where they stand.''
Funny isn't it, how a batsman of such colour retreats to captaincy in black and white? This comes from his straightforward, neat and tidy sort of upbringing, from the football-driven disciplines of his father and the adherence to the work ethic.
The suspicion always lingers that though Stewart is a cricketer by profession, a large chunk of him is a footballer by instinct. Though there is no obvious hint of the rebel - rather, he can be prim and mostly quite proper - it is in him to run the gauntlet, to bend the rules, to push his luck. This surely comes from the simmering he did as a boy and the inherent urgency to break free and be his own man.
It has got him into trouble before, this suggestion of the devil, but he is deeply conscious that it must not do so again, now that he holds the highest honour. Hence the reserved answers to questions about the on-field issues which are attracting such attention.
``I want the game to be played the right way'' - and that is? ``To always accept the umpire's decision.'' Silence. Is that enough?
``Interpretations of the 'right way' change with time. No one is whiter than white. There is less 'walking' now than when I started but there are definitely not any orchestrated appeals or any more appealing in general.''
``Umpiring is the hardest job in cricket.'' he says. ``The insensitivity of the television coverage gives them no chance of a low profile. The players know this and must accept umpiring decisions whichever way they go.''
And that, unsurprisingly, was all the England captain had to say on the subject.
Will we win this match and are we improving? As he got up to leave, the irresistible twinkle returned to his strong, blue eyes: ``We know we can beat South Africa, so yes to question one.
Are we improving? ``I'll let you know on Monday night.''