A young English fan who wrote a letter to Richie Benaud asking for tips on spin bowling almost 20 years ago has shared the Australian cricket great 's response in the wake of his death . Jonathon Stevenson was just 16 years old when he asked for Benaud 's advice on left-handed leg spin and he shared the lengthy response on Twitter on Friday as a tribute to the 'great man ' . 'Wrote to Richie Benaud when I was 16 about bowling leggies . His detailed reply says everything about the great man , ' Mr Stevenson , who is now a director at LiveWire Sport , tweeted . Scroll down for video . A letter from Richie Benaud to an English fan , Jonathon Stevenson , almost 20 years ago emerged on Friday in the wake of the cricket legend 's death . Accompanying the letter from Benaud , dated September 27 , 1996 , was a full sheet of notes about spin bowling for left-hand bowlers . 'Your letter was timely because it was the first from a left-hander and it reminded me that there is a difference in coaching and not just in the fact that one youngster might bowl with the right hand and another with the left , ' Benaud wrote . 'The ball , although coming out of the hand in the same manner and going in the same direction towards the batsmen , in fact spins differently for the two types of bowlers . ' Jonathon Stevenson , who now works at LiveWire Sport , was just 16 years old when he asked for Benaud 's advice on left-handed leg spin and he shared the lengthy response on Twitter as a tribute to the 'great man ' Accompanying the letter from Benaud , dated September 27 , 1996 , was a full sheet of notes about spin bowling for left-hand bowlers . Benaud enjoyed a remarkable Test career as a wily leg-spin bowler and middle-order batsman which ended with his retirement in 1964 . He was the first player to score 2,000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets . ' I hope you enjoy your cricket and your bowling , ' Benaud said . 'Yes , the left-arm over-the-wrist bowler who spins the ball into the right-hander from outside the off-stump is said to have bowled a Chinaman . The same bowler who spins one away from the right-hander has bowled a wrong'un . ' After retiring , Benaud became a commentary icon initially with the BBC in England and later in his native Australia . The typed letter , dated September 27 , 1996 , was personally signed by Benaud . It included tips on different deliveries and gave pointers as to how they should be delivered . In his letter to a young Mr Stevenson , he listed a full page of various different deliveries the teenager should try and gave pointers as to how they should be delivered . 'Do n't even think about learning the 'flipper ' before you have mastered the leg-break , topspinner and wrong'un , ' he finished with . The typed letter was personally signed by Benaud . After retiring , Benaud became a commentary icon initially with the BBC in England and later in his native Australia . He was the mainstay in Australian cricket television commentary until the past two summers - a car accident in 2013 sidelined him before he announced in November last year that he was fighting skin cancer . The Australian cricketer and commentator passed away in his sleep on Thursday night in Sydney after battling skin cancer . He was the mainstay in Australian cricket television commentary until the past two summers . In his letter to a young Mr Stevenson , he listed a full page of various different deliveries the teenager should try and gave pointers as to how they should be delivered .
StevensonJonathon Stevenson wrote a letter to Richie Benaud back in 1996 . The then-16-year-old asked for his advice on left-handed spin bowling . Jonathon Stevenson , who now works at LiveWire Sport , tweeted the letter on Friday . Cricket legend died in his sleep on Thursday night in a Sydney hospice . Letter included sheet of notes about spin bowling for left-hand bowlers .