Stuart Bevins
Encyclopedia
Stuart Roy Bevins is an English
former cricketer
who played a handful of matches for Worcestershire
between 1989 and 1991; he later also had two List A game for Herefordshire
, in 1995 and 1997.
Bevins came to prominence aged 18 in August 1985, when he captained, and kept wicket
for, the Warwickshire Young Amateurs team which beat Lancashire Federation Under-19s to win the 1985 Oxford and Cambridge Festival. He dismissed three players, and two whom he stumped were to go on to have long careers in the game: future England
captain Mike Atherton
and Nick Speak
. By 1987, Bevins was a regular in Worcestershire's second team, and that continued the following season as he waited for his break.
This came in May 1989, when he was called up to play against Nottinghamshire
in the County Championship
, usual keeper Steve Rhodes
having been selected to make his One Day International debut. He dismissed only two batsmen (Michael Newell and Chris Broad
), and scored very few runs (6 not out
), but in the continuing absence of Rhodes he was retained for the following match against Gloucestershire
. Again Bevins was generally tidy but unspectacular behind the stumps, but again his batting was almost an irrelevance. He also made his maiden one-day appearance in the Refuge Assurance League
.
Bevins found it extremely hard to break Rhodes' stranglehold on the Worcestershire keeper's position, and over the next two years he made only four more first-class and five List A appearances. He did manage his only two stumpings in 1990 (both of England players: Eddie Hemmings
and Geoff Humpage
), but his inferiority to Rhodes with the bat was painfully obvious: he batted at number ten, and in six first-class and one List A innings for the county, he made a grand total of 34 runs with a top score of just 10.
After 1991, Bevins never played again for Worcestershire. He did, however, make two appearances for Herefordshire in the NatWest Trophy. In 1995 he hit 26 against Durham
(by some distance his highest score in senior cricket), and two years later he made 8 against Somerset
; Herefordshire lost both matches by crushing margins of over 200 runs. In neither game did Bevins take a catch or make a stumping.
He has since played in the Birmingham League for both Solihull Blossomfield and Highway.
His brother Martyn played Second XI cricket with Worcestershire in 1990.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played a handful of matches for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
between 1989 and 1991; he later also had two List A game for Herefordshire
Herefordshire County Cricket Club
Herefordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Herefordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
, in 1995 and 1997.
Bevins came to prominence aged 18 in August 1985, when he captained, and kept wicket
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
for, the Warwickshire Young Amateurs team which beat Lancashire Federation Under-19s to win the 1985 Oxford and Cambridge Festival. He dismissed three players, and two whom he stumped were to go on to have long careers in the game: future England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
captain Mike Atherton
Mike Atherton
Michael Andrew Atherton OBE is a broadcaster, journalist and retired England international cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England,and occasional leg-break bowler, he achieved the captaincy of England at the age of 25 and led the side in a record 54 Test matches...
and Nick Speak
Nick Speak
Nick Speak is a former Lancashire and Durham batsman, who played first-class cricket from 1986 to 2001. After a number of years as a regular member of the strong Lancashire team of the early to mid 90s, he left to captain Durham. He retired after his release from Durham in 2001.-External links:*...
. By 1987, Bevins was a regular in Worcestershire's second team, and that continued the following season as he waited for his break.
This came in May 1989, when he was called up to play against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, usual keeper Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes is a former English cricketer. He was best known as a wicket-keeper, but was also a useful number six or seven batsman, making twelve first-class centuries....
having been selected to make his One Day International debut. He dismissed only two batsmen (Michael Newell and Chris Broad
Chris Broad
Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40...
), and scored very few runs (6 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
), but in the continuing absence of Rhodes he was retained for the following match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. Again Bevins was generally tidy but unspectacular behind the stumps, but again his batting was almost an irrelevance. He also made his maiden one-day appearance in the Refuge Assurance League
National League (cricket)
The NatWest Pro40 League was a one-day cricket league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were played on days other than Sunday.-Sunday League:The...
.
Bevins found it extremely hard to break Rhodes' stranglehold on the Worcestershire keeper's position, and over the next two years he made only four more first-class and five List A appearances. He did manage his only two stumpings in 1990 (both of England players: Eddie Hemmings
Eddie Hemmings (cricketer)
Edward Ernest Hemmings is a former English cricketer, who played in sixteen Tests and thirty three ODIs for England from 1982 to 1991. He made his England debut relatively late in his career, at the age of 33, having predominantly represented Nottinghamshire in the County Championship...
and Geoff Humpage
Geoff Humpage
Geoffrey William Humpage is a former English cricketer who played in 3 ODIs in 1981.As of 2009, he still holds the Warwickshire batting record for the fourth wicket - a stand of 470 with Alvin Kallicharran against Lancashire at Southport in 1982, of which Humpage contributed 254...
), but his inferiority to Rhodes with the bat was painfully obvious: he batted at number ten, and in six first-class and one List A innings for the county, he made a grand total of 34 runs with a top score of just 10.
After 1991, Bevins never played again for Worcestershire. He did, however, make two appearances for Herefordshire in the NatWest Trophy. In 1995 he hit 26 against Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
(by some distance his highest score in senior cricket), and two years later he made 8 against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
; Herefordshire lost both matches by crushing margins of over 200 runs. In neither game did Bevins take a catch or make a stumping.
He has since played in the Birmingham League for both Solihull Blossomfield and Highway.
His brother Martyn played Second XI cricket with Worcestershire in 1990.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...