text: A young English cricket 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. Jonathan 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.' Jonathan 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. 'Don'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  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 .
target: Jonathan Stevenson wrote a letter to Richie Benaud back in 1996 .
  The then-16-year-old asked for his advice on left-handed spin bowling .
  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 .