Here are a few facts and other bits and pieces about
Stephen Fleming. If anyone would like to suggest an
addition/correction, please email
me.
• Fleming was born in Christchurch and grew
up in the 'working class' suburb Sydenham.
• He was raised solely by his mother Pauline,
after his father left when he was very young.
• Pauline has always been very encouraging of
her son's cricket and even managed the school cricket
team.
• Fleming was educated at Waltham Primary School
and Cashmere High School.
• Fleming really liked school, and even went
to Christchurch Teacher's College when he finished,
until cricket took over. He completed two years of
his degree, majoring in physical education.
• He used to live in a Christchurch townhouse
co-owned with team mate Nathan Astle.
• He was best man at Nathan Astle's wedding.
• Fleming and Astle co-authored a book, Cricketing
Safari.
• His nicknames are Flem, and also Donkey (on
account of his running ability).
• Fleming moved to Wellington in 2000 to live
with his partner, Kelly Payne.
• In his spare time, Flem enjoys, golf, PlayStation
and reading.
• He once listed his favourite bands as Crowded
House, Crash Test Dummies and Counting Crows.
• At one stage his batting song was "O
Fortuna" from Orst's Carmina Burana.
• His favourite author is Ken Follet.
• His favourite food is Japanese tepanyaki.
• His "pet hates" include mosquitoes
and lost baggage.
• In 1997 Fleming became New Zealand's youngest-ever
captain at just 23 years of age.
• In 1995, Fleming was one of three players
to admit to smoking marijuana while on tour in South
Africa.
• He uses a Gunn & Moore bat.
• Fleming played for Middlesex in 2001 and would
like to captain an English county team one day.
• His only major injury to date was a groin
strain, necessitating surgery, which saw him miss
half the 1998-1999 home season. Dion Nash was stand-in
captain.
• Fleming occasionally bowls in tour matches,
usually without success, but had three catches dropped
during a 2003 World Cup warm up game.
• He offered to stand down as captain when the
team was on a losing streak in early 2001, but was
wisely retained.
• Although Fleming bats left-handed, he writes
and bowls right-handed.
• He captained the Rest of the World team in
2002.
• His provincial team is Wellington (previously
it was Canterbury).
• Once, when Fleming was speaking at a dinner
function, a woman in the audience asked if he would
marry her!
• He is everyone's Mum's favourite Black Cap.
