Micky Stewart

Born at Herne Hill, in south London, Stewart played first-class cricket for Surrey from 1954 to 1972 and also appeared in eight Test matches for England between 1962 and 1964. A right-handed opening batsman, Stewart averaged 35.00 with the bat in Test cricket with a highest score of 87. He was an outstanding close catcher, particularly at short leg. In 1957, he took 77 catches during the season, only one short of Wally Hammond's record. Against Northamptonshire that year, he held seven catches in an innings. It was partly for his fielding that he was selected as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the 1958 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Stewart toured India in 1963/64 as M. J. K. Smith's vice-captain, but he contracted dysentery and was forced home after playing only one innings. From 1959 to 1966, he had a successful opening partnership for Surrey with John Edrich, before moving down the batting order to number three. The pair also opened together for England on a couple of occasions. Stewart captained Surrey from 1963 to 1972, winning the County Championship in 1971. He served as cricket manager of Surrey (1979–1986) and England (1986–1992), and was director of coaching for the ECB (1992–1997). According to Steve James, writing in the Daily Telegraph: "As England's first manager Stewart was way ahead of his time, not least in the aspects of fitness and planning..." James quotes Graham Gooch, captain during the latter part of Stewart's time as England…