Stephen Newton

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Stephen Newton


country = England
fullname = Stephen Cox Newton
nickname =
living =
dayofbirth = 21
monthofbirth = 4
yearofbirth = 1853
placeofbirth = Nailsea, Somerset
countryofbirth = England
dayofdeath = 16
monthofdeath = 8
yearofdeath = 1916
placeofdeath = Ipswich, Suffolk
countryofdeath = England
batting = Right-handed batsman
bowling =
role = Opening or middle order batsman
club1 = Cambridge University, Somerset, Middlesex, MCC
year1 = 1876-1890
type1 = First-class
debutdate1 = 8 May
debutyear1 = 1876
debutfor1 = Cambridge University
debutagainst1 = England XI
lastdate1 = 23 May
lastyear1 = 1890
lastfor1 = MCC
lastagainst1 = Lancashire
deliveries = balls
columns = 1
column1 = First-class
matches1 = 33
runs1 = 1137
bat avg1 = 20.30
100s/50s1 = -/6
top score1 = 86
deliveries1 = 252
wickets1 = 2
bowl avg1 = 92.50
fivefor1 = -
tenfor1 = -
best bowling1 = 2-54
catches/stumpings1 = 20/-
date = 19 Jul
year = 2008
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/3/3733/3733.html CricketArchive

Stephen Cox Newton, born at Nailsea, Somerset on April 21, 1853, and died at Ipswich, Suffolk on August 16, 1916, played cricket for Cambridge University, Somerset, Middlesex and MCC. He was captain of Somerset during some of the first matches played by the county side that are universally agreed to have been of first-class status.

Described in Haygarth's Scores and Biographies as "a fine and free hitter, and a most excellent field",Quoted in cite web | url = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228031.html | title = Other Deaths in 1916 | publisher = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack | accessdate = 2007-07-17] Newton batted either as a right-handed opener or as a middle-order batsman. Educated in Jersey, he played five times for Cambridge in 1876 and won his Blue for cricket, though he made only seven runs and batted at No 10. [cite web | url = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2031.html | title = Oxford University v Cambridge University | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 2007-07-17]

According to his obituary in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Newton played for Somerset from 1876 through to 1890, but for most of that period, the matches played by the county are not regarded as first-class. He did appear in one of the matches, in 1879, against Gloucestershire, that has been the subject of much debate among cricket historians and statisticians, since the match included a century by W. G. Grace which has been traditionally counted in his career total of 126 first-class centuries, even though the status of the match is, at best, doubtful. [cite web | url = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2319.html | title = Gloucestershire v Somerset | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 2007-07-17] See this article for more details on this subject.

Newton was the official captain of Somerset for the first three seasons, 1882 to 1884, in which the county club arranged enough fixtures to be regarded as a competitor in the then unofficial County Championship. He did not, however, appear in Somerset's first three matches: as a schoolmaster in London, he was only able to play for the county during the month of August. In his first match as captain, he top-scored in both innings, with 57 and 67, as Somerset lost to MCC by one wicket. [cite web | url = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2617.html | title = Marylebone Cricket Club v Somerset | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 2007-07-17] He then made 80 in the side's next match, a victory over Hampshire. [cite web | url = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2621.html | title = Somerset v Hampshire | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 2007-07-17]

Newton continued to play for Somerset during the Augusts of both 1883 and 1884, captaining the side whenever he appeared. After 1884, however, he appeared in no more first-class games for the county, playing instead for Middlesex and for MCC at matches at Lord's, which was close to the school where he was headmaster. His best first-class innings was 86 for MCC against Lancashire at Lord's in 1885, the only one of his six first-class half-centuries not to be made for Somerset. [cite web | url = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2989.html | title = Marylebone Cricket Club v Lancashire | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 2007-07-17]

He played in non-first-class games for Somerset to 1890, the team having slipped out of first-class status after the 1885 season.

References