Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

After play was over, a banquet was held in Swansea at which the Australians were guests of honour with a series of toasts being made to the various individuals who had organised the fixture. After his efforts in helping to raise the South Wales team, a toast was drunk to C.P.Lewis, but the banquet proved to be quite a rowdy and noisy affair, and the newspaper reported that Lewis responded ‘briefly and inaudibly’. No doubt most heads had cleared by the time that play resumed the following morning at 11.30 am, but it was definitely a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show, as the South Wales XVIII were bowled out four hours later for just 88, giving the tourists a comprehensive innings victory. The correspondent from The Cambrian newspaper, who had eulogised about the talents of the home side in the lead-up to the game and in his first innings report, was much more sparing with his comments, writing that ‘There was nothing of particular note in the playing of The Eighteen today. The best play was shown by Messrs Riches, Chambers, and L.Jenkins. … The bowling of Spofforth and Boyle was very good today, the latter carrying off the palm.’ The final scorecard read: Australians A.C.Bannerman c E.Bannerman b Cobden 17 C.Bannerman b Lewis 27 T.P.Horan b Cobden 38 *D.W.Gregory c Llewelyn b Cobden 0 T.W.Garrett b Cobden 25 W.L.Murdoch b Lewis 10 F.R.Spofforth b Cobden 8 G.H.Bailey b Lewis 45 J.Conway c and b Lewis 12 †J.M.Blackham c E.Bannerman b Lewis 5 H.F.Boyle not out 5 Extras 27 Total 219 Bowling: Lewis 30.3-5-60-5; Llewelyn 21-10-33-0; T.B.Jones 19-7-36-0; Cobden 28-13-41-5; Jenkins 8-2-22-0. South Wales Club H.H.Young c Gregory b Boyle 2 c Blackham b Spofforth 0 C.H.Riches c Bannerman b Spofforth 0 not out 5 G.B.Elkington c Blackham b Spofforth 2 c Bailey b Boyle 0 E.M.Bannerman c Murdoch b Spofforth 6 b Spofforth 13 F.C.Cobden b Spofforth 0 b Spofforth 5 E.W.Curteis b Boyle 12 c Blackham b Spofforth 2 T.B.Jones b Boyle 5 c Murdoch b Boyle 6 C.P.Lewis b Spofforth 11 c Boyle b Spofforth 2 L.Jenkins c C.Bannerman b Boyle 3 c Boyle b Spofforth 15 Schoolmaster at Llandovery College 55