Harold William Stephenson (18 July 1920 – 23 April 2008) was an English first class cricketer who played for Somerset, who captained Somerset from 1960 until his retirement in 1964.
Harold Stephenson is the most successful wicket-keeper in history for Somerset, and is the county’s only cricketer to have taken 1000 dismissals. He also holds the county record for the most stumpings in a season as well as most catches in a season.
He joined Somerset for the 1948 season, but played in only eight matches. He kept wicket in only two of them, and was used mostly as an opening batsman, not with any great success.
The following season, however, he succeeded the long-serving Wally Luckes as the regular wicketkeeper and, despite missing half a dozen matches, he set a new county record for dismissals, with 39 catches and 44 stumpings.
The 1949 season set the pattern for Stephenson, he was at or near the top of the wicketkeepers’ lists for dismissals for the next decade, setting the Somerset record with 86 dismissals in 1954.
At end of the 1959 season, Maurice Tremlett, who had been Somerset’s captain since 1956, the first professional to hold the job in modern times, stood down from the job and Stephenson, at 39, was chosen to replace him.
He stayed in the captain’s job for five seasons and was successful: in 1963 he led the side to third place in the County Championship, equalling the best-ever position.
Stephenson retired from first-class cricket, apparently with some reluctance and continued to live in Taunton, but from 1965 to 1968 played regular Minor Counties cricket for Dorset. Apparently he didn’t return too often to the County Ground!
Photo from SCCC Players, Photographs and Statistics – available in the Museum and Library
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