Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

parishioners held a special reception for him, where a series of glowing tributes were paid. The Cambrian dutifully reported on this affectionate gathering, saying that Williams was ‘a faithful minister of the gospel and a kind and sympathetic friend, ever ready to alleviate distress and promote the educational wants of the district.’ It was into Rev Williams’ care that C.P. went in the autumn of 1868, and for the next few years, he was based in the genteel Swansea suburb of Mumbles, safely upwind of the town’s industry and docks. There had been, at first, enough money in the family estate to keep him at Llandovery College, but with the family’s coffers running low, Rev Williams decided that a more prudent course of action would be for him to be at Norton Lodge, where he could continue – at no cost – his studies in addition to further developing his skills as a cricketer. If W.P.Whittington was the man who instilled a love of rugby in the impressionable youngster, it was William Bancroft and his son, also William, who helped to further cultivate C.P.’s abilities as a cricketer. 2 Born in Cambridgeshire in 1824, William senior had moved to London, and then on to Swansea to further his career as a boot-maker and a professional cricketer with the ambitious town club. He may have harboured dreams, when he was a young man, of securing a position at Lord’s, but after moving to south Wales in the late 1850s, he quickly established himself as one of the leading professionals in the area, and was one of the earliest to introduce round-arm bowling to Welsh cricket fields. He played in several of the exhibition matches and other fixtures organised by the Glamorganshire club, formed in 1869. School Days in Llandovery, Swansea and Gloucester 16 2 William Bancroft (senior) was born in Barnwell, Cambridgeshire in 1821. He played cricket for Glamorganshire between 1861 and 1869, as well as appearing for several South Wales clubs including Swansea and Cadoxton. He died in Swansea in the summer of 1891. His son, William (junior), who was born in Bury St. Edmunds in March 1848, also appeared for Glamorganshire between 1864 and 1870, besides playing for the South Wales club between 1864 and 1886 as well as Radnorshire from 1869 until 1872. He also appeared for Swansea, Cadoxton and the Bryn-y-neuadd club in North Wales where he coached in 1883. William Bancroft (junior) also played for Glamorgan against Devon in 1891 at Swansea, and the following season appeared on the same ground in the trial match against a Colts side. He died in Swansea on April 26, 1906. Both of his sons also played cricket for Glamorgan – William James (‘Billy’) appeared regularly for the county between 1889 and 1914, with the all-rounder also appearing in first-class cricket for the West of England in 1910 and for South Wales in 1912. John (‘Jack’) kept wicket for the county in Minor County Championship games between 1908 and 1910, besides making nine first-class appearances in 1922.