Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/391

 it Stephenson owed a great deal of his success. The power of his bowling lay in making the ball break back from the off. He belonged to the All-England Eleven, and was captain of the first team that went out to Australia in 1862. After he gave up playing he proved to be one of the best coaches of young players, and since he went to Uppingham he has brought out a great many first-class cricketers.

Mr. Andrew Stoddart was born at South Shields on the 11th of March, 1864. His height is 5ft. 10½ in.; weight, 12 st. 4lbs. He was very little known in the cricket world until 1885, and then only in connection with the Hampstead Club. However, before that season was over he was chosen to represent Middlesex, and his progress since has been phenomenally rapid. He is one of the most brilliant amateurs we have at the present time, his batting, bowling and fielding being first-class. As a rule he scores very rapidly, and already he holds the record for the highest individual score in an innings: 485, for the Hampstead Club v. Stoics, at Hampstead on the 4th August, 1886. It was not a first-class match by any means, but it was a wonderful bit of scoring. His 151 for England v. M.C.C. in the Centenary Match in 1887 was a finer effort, and was made against Barnes and Flowers.

He is a brilliant out-field and a very safe catch. I take credit for having introduced him as a bowler, but I have been rather amused by his remarks when he gets hit: "All right, hit away," said he; "but it 's all your fault, W. G., and I wish I had never bowled a ball in my life!"

So far his batting results in first-class matches show:


 * 1886 || 23 || 640 || I16 || 27.19
 * 1887 || 28 || 799 || 151 || 28.15
 * 1889 || 33 || 817 || 78* || 24.25
 * 1890 || 44 || 845 || 115 || 19.9
 * }
 * 1889 || 33 || 817 || 78* || 24.25
 * 1890 || 44 || 845 || 115 || 19.9
 * }
 * }