John Stephenson

Lieutenant Colonel John William Arthur Stephenson DSO (1 August 1907 – 20 May 1982) was a Hong-Kong-born English first-class cricketer who played in both India and England from the late 1920s until shortly after the Second World War. His Wisden obituarist opined that "there would always have been fewer empty grounds" had more players been like him. He was also a British Army officer, who saw service in the Second World War. Stephenson was educated at Clayesmore School. On 2 February 1928, after having played some games for Buckinghamshire in the 1927 Minor Counties Championship while training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Middlesex Regiment . Posted to India, he made his first-class cricket debut for the Europeans against the Muslims at Bombay Gymkhana in the 1928/29 Bombay Quadrangular tournament, scoring 17 and 42 runs as well as taking 2 for 24 in the second innings. In his next match, against Parsees, he scored his maiden century, hitting 135 in the first innings. He played one more game for Europeans that season, then two more the following year, without much success. In 1930/31 he played for Madras against the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram's XI, then returned to the Europeans side and produced a good all-round display against Indians, making 117 (he never made another first-class century) and taking six wickets in an innings victory.Stephenson was promoted to lieutenant on 2 February 1931, and returned to England later that year. He again turned out for Buckinghamshire, but in August made his English first-class debut for the Army against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's. In a low-scoring match, his 20 not out in the second innings helped guide the Army to a four-wicket win. Over the next couple of seasons, he mixed further appearances for the Army (although not achieving any particular success) with continued appearances for Buckinghamshire. He began 1934 with a game for Free Foresters again