The cricket writer, Colin Bateman, commented on Stephenson's Test match appearance, "by the time John Stephenson was picked in 1989, England's selection policy resembled one of those bingo machines in which numbered balls are blown up a tube at random".
[2] He had a long county cricket career as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium bowler for Essex (1985–1994 and 2002–2004) and Hampshire (1995–2001).
[4] Later in his career he was twice picked to tour with the England A team (to Zimbabwe in 1989–90 and West Indies in 1991–92).
[5] He was also part of the England squad which won the Hong Kong Sixes tournament in 1993.
Stephenson left MCC and took up the role of CEO at Essex County Cricket Club in October 2021.