Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

Lewis also played against Devon at Llandovery, but rain throughout the second day meant that he was not called upon to bat. When another player pulled out of the match against Cornwall at Camborne, Lewis stepped into the breach again and scored 21 and five on what was described as an easy-paced wicket. He also bowled three overs, but went for 25 runs as Cornwall found conditions, and the Welsh attack, very much to their liking as they posted 443. The Carmarthenshire side then travelled on to Torquay to meet Devon, but with Llanelli’s Hugh Howell available for the match, Lewis stood down. These were far from happy times for Carmarthenshire, who were rapidly establishing a reputation as all-time whipping boys of the Minor County competition. The county again finished last in the Western Division: out of eight matches, they lost five, all by an innings, and drew three, though this time they did have a first innings lead to report, against Cornwall. The qualification rules didn’t help their cause either, as professionals had to be playing for the local clubs for two years before they could be selected for the county side. Consequently, Carmarthenshire missed the chance of using Sri Lankan Albert Holsinger, who was the professional with Llanelli in 1910, as well as, a year later, the South African googly bowler, Ernie Vogler. Lewis faced up to Holsinger on a wet wicket as Llandovery played Llanelli in May 1910. He lasted 15 minutes and scored five against a series of fast, sharply lifting deliveries from the Sinhalese bowler. In 1910, Carmarthenshire continued with their Minor Counties campaign, this year to better effect. They won three games out of eight, beating Cornwall once and Dorset twice, all with Lewis present on the field of play. He batted at number nine when Cornwall visited Stradey Park in a match which saw Cornwall bowled out 29 in the second innings as Carmarthenshire gained one of their few wins. Against Dorset at Stradey a few weeks later he was bowled by Chester-Master for nought, but in the second knock he came in at 153 for nine and took the score to 213, scoring 28* and hitting four 4s as Carmarthenshire won again by 162 runs. Lewis appeared in the return contest at Poole Park the next week, won by four wickets, where he was promoted to number eight, before playing again against Cornwall in the following days. In 1911, apparently now retired from his legal practice – the Census records his occupation as ‘private means’ – he captained a County Colts sixteen against Llanelli, batting as last man as he 104 County Cricket for Carmarthenshire