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]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | John Wise Stevens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1828 England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 27 March 1873 (aged 44–45) Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 26 October 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cricket career
editStevens 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
editStevens 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "John Stevens". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "John Stevens". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ Greg Ryan, Where the Game Was Played by Decent Chaps, PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, 1996, p. 146.
- ^ "Miscellaneous". Press: 4. 19 November 1863.
- ^ "Canterbury against Otago". Press: 3. 3 February 1864.
- ^ "Otago v Canterbury 1863-64". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Cricket: Canterbury v Otago". Otago Daily Times: 5. 28 January 1864.
- ^ "Canterbury v Otago 1864-65". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Mary Tenterden Abbott". Ancestry. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Lyttelton". Press: 3. 12 July 1862.
- ^ "Death". Press: 2. 31 October 1865.
- ^ "General". Star: 2. 28 March 1873.
- ^ "Inquest". Star: 3. 31 March 1873.