John Southern

John William Southern (born 2 September 1952) is an English former first-class cricketer. He played county cricket as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for Hampshire between 1975 and 1983, making 164 first-class and 25 one-day appearances. In first-class cricket, he took over 400 wickets. After retiring following the 1983 season, Southern briefly coached cricket at The Portsmouth Grammar School, before emigrating to New Zealand.

Cricket Playing career John William Southern was born on 2 September 1952 in King's Cross, London. He studied at the University of Southampton, from where he graduated. Southern signed a one-year contract with Hampshire in December 1974, initially as an understudy to Hampshire's established spin-bowler Peter Sainsbury. He made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Gloucestershire at Bristol in the 1975 County Championship, making 13 appearances in the Championship. He took 44 wickets at an average of 27.11 with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling, taking two five-wicket hauls. He took 6 for 46 against Gloucestershire in the return fixture at Bournemouth in July, a bowling display that the Western Daily Press said had "bemused" the Gloucestershire batsmen. Later in the season against Surrey, he took 6 for 53. Southern also made his debut in List A one-day cricket in 1975, playing once against Derbyshire at Darley Dale in the John Player League. The following season, he made 20 first-class appearances, with 19 coming in the County Championship;

Southern made 22 first-class appearances in 1977, Following the season, Southern opted to stay at Hampshire after turning down the opportunity to pursue a one-year diploma course at the University of Oxford. Southern scored his first half-century during the season, making 51 runs in a defeat against Gloucestershire, forming part of an 83 runs stand for the final wicket with Mike Taylor. He returned to one-day cricket during the season, making two appearances.

Southern made fewer first-class appearances in 1979, after being afflicted with appendicitis at the end of July and requiring an operation. He took 29 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 32.79, He made the highest first-class score of his career during the season, scoring an unbeaten 61 runs against Yorkshire. He played two one-day matches, one each in the Benson & Hedges Cup and the Gillette Cup. Southern made 13 first-class appearances in 1981,

After the conclusion of his professional career, Southern played club cricket in Southampton for Deanery, and coached at The Portsmouth Grammar School until 1985. He later emigrated to New Zealand.

Playing style and statistics Southern was a tall slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, who was capable of bowling for long periods. With Cowley, he formed what The Birmingham Post described as a "modest" bowling partnership. Southern made 164 appearances in first-class cricket, As a right-handed tail-end batsman, he scored 1,653 runs at an average of 15.30, making three fifties. Fielding in first-class cricket, he took 59 catches.