John Stevens
Personal information
Full name
John Wise Stevens
Born1828
England
Died27 March 1873 (aged 44–45)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 3
Runs scored 29
Batting average 5.80
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 12
Balls bowled 392
Wickets 12
Bowling average 7.83
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 5/17
Catches/stumpings 0/0
Source: Cricinfo, 26 October 2020

John Wise Stevens (1828 – 27 March 1873) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played in three first-class matches for Canterbury from 1864 to 1866.[1][2]

Cricket career

Stevens had been a farm labourer in Shropshire, but in Christchurch in the 1860s he was a professional cricketer.[3] In the 1863-64 season he bowled to members of the Canterbury Cricket Club at Hagley Park for three shillings an hour.[4]

He took the first wicket in New Zealand first-class cricket. Opening the bowling for Canterbury against Otago in January 1864, he had Charles Morris caught by Arthur Powys for 1.[5][6][7] Against Otago the next season he took 2 for 23 and 5 for 17 to help Canterbury to their first first-class victory.[8]

Personal life

Stevens was born in England. He married Mary Tenterden Abbott in Horsmonden, Kent, in 1850.[9] They arrived in Christchurch in 1862 with their two children.[10] Mary died in Christchurch in October 1865.[11]

In March 1873 Stevens was working as a miner in the railway tunnel between Christchurch and Lyttelton when he was killed by a train. He had been assigned nightwatchman duties, but fell asleep on the line and died instantly when the passing train struck him.[12] A special train took his body from Lyttelton to Christchurch for the funeral; the flags at the Port of Lyttelton flew at half-mast as a sign of respect.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "John Stevens". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "John Stevens". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Greg Ryan, Where the Game Was Played by Decent Chaps, PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, 1996, p. 146.
  4. ↑ "Miscellaneous". Press: 4. 19 November 1863.
  5. ↑ "Canterbury against Otago". Press: 3. 3 February 1864.
  6. ↑ "Otago v Canterbury 1863-64". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Cricket: Canterbury v Otago". Otago Daily Times: 5. 28 January 1864.
  8. ↑ "Canterbury v Otago 1864-65". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Mary Tenterden Abbott". Ancestry. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  10. ↑ "Lyttelton". Press: 3. 12 July 1862.
  11. ↑ "Death". Press: 2. 31 October 1865.
  12. ↑ "General". Star: 2. 28 March 1873.
  13. ↑ "Inquest". Star: 3. 31 March 1873.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.