FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO SCORE AGAINST AUSSIES

By Brian Sanderson,

Like John Winn, I have just received a cricket book through the post to-day.

The story started when the Yorkshire Archives received a letter from a relative of George Pinder who was the Yorkshire wicket- keeper in the 1880,s.They wish to have a copy of picture of the 1880,s Yorkshire side.

This set be wondering who was the wicket-keeper before him. I do not know much about this period.Looking through my books I found his name, Edwin Stephenson who was born in Sheffield on the June 5 1832. Lugubrious of expression but capable of the droll remark, he was one of two Yorkshiremen on the 1861-62 Australian venture.The other cricketer was Roger Iddison who was the first captain of Yorkshire.

The book I have just received is The Trailblazers by David Frith and purchased for £8 from Boundary Books and signed by Frith.He recently spoke at Wombwellin it,s 60th Year.

A quote from the book was that Ned felt strongly about Southerners moves to destablise the established itinerant teams by setting up the United South of England X1, and spoke of the wage-earning Northerners as having been most cruelly-treated by the Surrey men.

So sensitatively balanced was his dignity that when his partner ran him out-apparently deliberately-in a North v Surrey match in 1863,Stephenson walked out on the ramainder of the game,the entry in the scorebook in the second innings reading,absent,shamefully and disgracefully.Would have Boycott done that when Botham ran him out for scoring too slow in New Zealand.

Laughing Teddy Stephenson, who had proudly top-scored with 67 in Yorkshire first match after its 1863 foundation, and again in 1867 with 54 in the first -ever Roses match,and who had scored England,s first run off the Australian bowling, deid in obscurity and in very poor circumstances on July 5 1898. aged 66.

I look forward to read the whole book during Christmas day instead of watching The Snowman.

Just a message to John I am still very busy with mine and Yorkshire archives.Winter does not stop me been involved in cricket just a change tact.