Lumpy Stevens facts for kids

Edward "Lumpy" Stevens (born 1735, died 1819) was a famous English professional cricketer. He played cricket in the 1700s. Lumpy was an amazing bowler, known for being one of the first great bowlers ever. Everyone knew him by his nickname, "Lumpy." This name was even used on official cricket scorecards.

Lumpy Stevens' Cricket Career

Lumpy Stevens was born in 1735 in a place called Send, Surrey. His cricket career started around 1756. Back then, detailed records of cricket matches were not always kept.

How Lumpy Changed Bowling

Lumpy Stevens played a big part in changing how cricket was bowled. Before his time, bowlers often rolled the ball along the ground. Lumpy was one of the first to "give the ball air." This means he threw the ball through the air, making it bounce. This made the game much more exciting!

Lumpy was very good at studying how the ball moved. He learned to change the ball's speed, where it landed (length), and its direction. He became a true master of this new bowling style.

Playing for Surrey

Lumpy Stevens is mostly known for playing with Surrey teams. He played cricket for a very long time. His last match was in 1789 when he was 54 years old. He played for England against Hampshire in Sevenoaks Vine.

Lumpy's Unique Bowling Style

No one is quite sure how Lumpy got his famous nickname. Some people think it was because he was very good at choosing the best spot on the cricket field to bowl from. In the 1700s, one team could often choose where the wickets would be placed. The best bowler on the team usually made this choice.

Lumpy was known for picking a spot that helped his special bowling style. He could make the ball do tricky things in the air. A famous old poem about him says:

For honest Lumpy did allow
He ne'er would pitch but o'er a brow

Lumpy's Life and Work

Outside of cricket, Lumpy Stevens worked as a gardener. His amazing bowling skills helped him get a job. He worked on the estate of the Earl of Tankerville in Walton-on-Thames. The Earl was a big supporter of cricket.

Lumpy's Lasting Impact on Cricket

Lumpy Stevens had a huge impact on the game of cricket. In May 1775, he played a special type of match called a single wicket game. In this game, he bowled against a famous batsman named John Small.

Lumpy bowled so well that he hit the wickets three times. At that time, cricket wickets only had two stumps. Because Lumpy was so good at bowling and hitting the wickets, people decided to add a third stump. This change made the game fairer and more challenging for batsmen. The three-stump wicket is still used in cricket today!