The Cricket Statistician No 195

7 Darren Stevens: the greatest ever all-rounder not to play international cricket? Daniel Lightman (with statistics by Benedict Bermange) I n the twilight of his long career, Darren Stevens has finally achieved the wider recognition in the game which many thought he should have received years ago. One of this year’s Wisden Cricketers of the Year , he was, at 44, the fourth-oldest ever to receive this accolade, and the most venerable since Ewart Astill in 1933. Not one to rest on his laurels, Stevens went on to perform so impressively with both bat and ball from the start of his 25 th season that as early as June Kent offered him a new contract for 2022, when he will be 46. His attainments have included two speedy centuries – including a exceptional innings of 190 against Glamorgan from 149 balls, with ten sixes – and two 5-fors. Not for 55 years has an older cricketer attained the twin feats of scoring at least two centuries and taking two five-wicket hauls in the same season: that was Bill Alley in 1966, then aged 47. Notwithstanding Stevens’ remarkable form, it is highly unlikely that he will now receive a belated international call-up. Luke Wright has described him as “the most talented county cricketer never to play for England”. The closest he has come to the England side came in the winter of 2002/03, when he was selected for the England Academy squad which wintered in Australia and was included in the 30-man squad for the 2003 World Cup. Of the five uncapped players named in that squad (including a young Jimmy Anderson), only Stevens and Kyle Hogg failed subsequently to play for England. Stevens’ late development as a bowler has no doubt hindered his prospects of being selected for England. His first 5-for came in his 171 st first-class match – for Kent v Essex at Chelmsford on 8 April 2011 – just three weeks before his 35th birthday. A further 30 5-fors followed in the next 145 matches he played until 30 June 2021 1 . Only six bowlers in cricketing history have ended up with 30 or more five-wicket hauls all of which were taken after they turned 35: Name 5-fors Matches First 5-for Age at first 5-for Age at last 5-for J Southerton 192 286 30th 37 51 J Lawrence 40 283 51st 36 44 E Robinson 36 416 12th 35 47 J Bayley 31 83 9th 38 52 DW Carr 31 58 1st 37 41 WE Alley 30 400 36th 38 48 It is, perhaps, an indication how difficult it is for late developers as bowlers to break into Test cricket that between them these six only won three Test caps: the oldest ever Test debutant at the age of 49, Southerton participated in the first two Tests ever played (and 1 Save where the context indicates otherwise, all figures in this article are correct as at 30 June 2021.