H.H. Stephenson — Surrey Professional Who Would Captain the First Australia Tour

Stephenson's middle-class origins — the son of a surgeon — were exceptional in mid-Victorian professional cricket. Most professionals came from artisan or labouring backgrounds. His education and bearing made him acceptable to the Spiers and Pond promoters when they were looking for a captain to take English cricket overseas.

By 1858 Stephenson was the leading fast-roundarm bowler in the Surrey side after Caffyn and was a regular middle-order batsman. The 1859 season confirmed him as a tour-class cricketer.

H.H. Stephenson was born at Esher, Surrey, on 3 May 1833, the son of a surgeon — an unusual social background for a Victorian professional cricketer. He turned professional in his teens and made his first-class debut for Surrey against Kent at the Oval in 1853. By 1856 he was a regular in F.P. Miller's championship side; by 1857 he had made the All-England Eleven. Stephenson bowled right-arm fast roundarm with a high action, batted in the middle order, and not infrequently kept wicket — a useful versatility on tour. He was selected for Parr's North America tour in September 1859 and was one of the leading bowlers there; the same combination of skills would lead Spiers and Pond, the Melbourne caterers, to choose him over Parr to captain the first Australian tour in 1861-62. His peak as a batsman came later, in 1864 and 1865, when he scored 824 and 788 runs and made all three of his first-class hundreds. He retired after his benefit in 1871 and went on to coach at Uppingham School until his death.

“Stephenson was an all-rounder, being a decent batsman, fast round-arm bowler and in addition he not infrequently kept wicket.”

The Spiers and Pond Australian tour of 1861-62, captained by Stephenson, was the founding event of Anglo-Australian cricket. After his playing retirement his coaching at Uppingham produced cricketers including Lord Harris and Hon. Ivo Bligh, the captains of the 1880s.