George Robert Stephenson

"Bob Stephenson (real name George Stephenson) should not be confused with George Stevenson."

George Robert Stephenson (born November 19, 1942, better known as Bob Stephenson) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire and Hampshire between 1967 and 1980.

Stephenson had played Second XI cricket for Hampshire since back in 1962, though he spent the majority of the years 1964 and 1965 out of the game, and came back to the fore in 1966. Stephenson's debut County Championship game came in 1967, in a draw against Middlesex. Derbyshire finished in a decent sixth place in 1967.

Stephenson played first-class cricket merely twice during the following season, and with Bob Taylor as first-choice wicketkeeper, his opportunities at Derbyshire were always likely to be limited. He therefore transferred to Hampshire for the 1969 season.

Hampshire played steadily during 1969, finishing the season in fifth place, though the team would find the following season hard-going and end 1970 with just four victories under their belt. Stephenson would continue to serve Hampshire through the inconsistent times of the mid-70s, the highlight being the team's second-ever victory in the County Championship in 1973. Stephenson remained a first-team choice through the late 1970s, and into the 1980 season, but he retired from first-class cricket after Hampshire's bottom-placed finish in that season's County Championship.

Stephenson's sole first-class century came for Hampshire against Somerset in 1976. During his last two years as a Hampshire player, 1979 and 1980, Stephenson was club captain.

External links

* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6867/6867.html Bob Stephenson] at Cricket Archive