New MCC Head of Cricket: John Stephenson

Date released: 2 June 2004

John Stephenson - the former Essex all-rounder, Hampshire captain and England batsman - has been appointed MCC's Head of Cricket.

John (39) will start work at Lord's on Monday 7th June after joining MCC from Essex County Cricket Club, where he spent a total of thirteen years in two spells - most recently as a coach, the captain of the second XI and the Club's fitness trainer.

In his new role, John's responsibilities will include MCC's playing and touring programmes - which involve around 450 matches, in Britain and overseas, per year. The Head of Cricket's other key roles include the strategic management of the playing and practice areas at Lord's and supervision of the MCC Young Cricketers programme.

Commenting on his new role, John Stephenson (right) said: "It's a great honour and pleasure to be joining MCC at such an active and innovative time in the Club's history. I am also fortunate to be joining such a strong team - including people of the calibre of Clive Radley [MCC's Head Coach] and Mick Hunt [the PCA Groundman of the Year]. I am looking forward to working closely with them, and all my new colleagues, to continue improving Lord's and further enhance MCC's reputation as the most active cricket-playing and cricket-promoting club in the world. It will be a wrench to leave Essex, where I have enjoyed many very happy years, but I've always loved playing at Lord's - and I can't wait to start work there next week."

David East, the Chief Executive of Essex County Cricket Club, said: "John has given great service to Essex, in several different roles, over many seasons. On behalf of all our supporters, I would like to thank him for his many contributions to the Club - on and off the pitch. We will be sorry to see him leave us, but wish him every success in his exciting new role at Lord's."

MCC's Secretary & Chief Executive, Roger Knight, said: "I am delighted that John will be joining MCC as Head of Cricket. From a very strong field, he showed himself to be the candidate with the right combination of cricketing, coaching and managerial experience. John will be a great asset to MCC and an excellent addition to our senior team."

John has been appointed to succeed Tony Dodemaide, who left MCC earlier in the year to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australia Cricket Association.

Current cricket projects at Lord's include the development of the country's first portable pitches, which are likely to be used for practice purposes, for the first time, later this season.

In his first-class career, John scored almost 15,000 runs and took nearly 400 wickets. He captained Hampshire in 1996 and 1997 and represented England in one Test in 1989.