The life of Micky Stewart can almost be read as a 20th Century “Boys Own” story. England opener, one of the few surviving members of the Surrey side who won the County Championship in seven successive summers in the 1950s, manager of the England Test match side and to cap it all a professional footballer with Charlton Athletic who, having become an amateur, when selected to represent Great Britain in the 1954 Olympics in Melbourne fell foul to the hypocrisy of the era.
There are now few men alive who have been so extensively involved in cricket for as long as he has. Born in London on 16th September 1932 he was the son of a professional gambler. He excelled in schools cricket and nearly joined Kent before accepting a contract with Surrey. He made his debut in 1954, scoring 109 in his second match against the touring Pakistanis. He was to become a fine opening batsman and brilliant close catcher to the likes of Alec Bedser, Jim Laker and Tony Lock as they caused havoc to opposing batsman on the uncovered wickets of their day. In 1957 he took 77 catches, only one short of Wally Hammond’s record for a season. This included a record seven in an innings against Northamptonshire.
Between 1963 and 1972 he captained his county, leading the Championship winning side of 1971. He retired at the end of the following season having played in 540 matches with an average a shade under 33. He had made 40 centuries.
He was almost thirty when he made his Test debut, against Pakistan in 1962. He remained in the side for eight matches, touring India as vice-captain in 1963-64. Illness forced an early return, heralding the end of his international career as a player.
In 1979 Micky returned to the Oval as team manager, overseeing the development of his son Alec. In 1986 he accepted the post of England manager. His initial tour to Australia was truly successful. The side, captained by Mike Gatting and viewed by many as one of the weakest to leave these shores, won the Test series and both one-day series. More difficult days followed including the infamous Shakoor Rana/Mike Gatting incident and the 1988 home series against the West Indies when, following the sacking of Mike Gatting, John Emburey, Chris Cowdrey and Graham Gooch all captained the side. It was with the latter that Micky developed a new fitness and work ethic that remains with England’s international teams to this day. In 1992, despite being offered an extension to his contract, he took the job of Director of Coaching and Excellence at the ECB. He remained in that post until his retirement in 1997.
In his biography, “Micky Stewart and the Changing Face of Cricket”, Stephen Chalke has managed to capture perfectly a life that has been thoroughly enjoyed. Few have been as dedicated to sport as his subject. Having had a preview of their presentation together we can promise you not only an evening full of interest, but also one full of entertainment.