Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

Despite the heavy defeat by the Australians, J.T.D. and the other committee members of the South Wales C.C. were quite heartened by the state of club cricket. But it was clear that further improvements could be made, and the committee decided to promote an inter-club competition. Lewis believed that a more competitive approach between clubs was needed and after a lengthy, and at times quite excited, discussion about the success of a similar idea already put in force by the region’s rugby players, the South Wales C.C. in 1879 instigated a Challenge Cup for the region’s cricket clubs. A well-known firm of silversmiths, Elkington and Co of Birmingham, were invited by C.P. to make the cup – a choice possibly based on the fact that one of the leading Welsh players, Jerry Elkington of Burry Port copper works, was related to the owners of the Birmingham company. Both the College and Llandovery Town entered for the first year, but the Town could not raise a side and pulled out of the first-round tie with Cadoxton. Some fixtures were played at neutral venues, with Llanelli and Brecon meeting at Llandovery, whilst Llandovery College played Newport at Swansea. The men of Gwent were humiliated by C.P. and his scholars, who bowled them out for just six runs. Lewis had six wickets – all bowled. Earlier Lewis had made 42 not out of 55. Second time round, he failed as the school made just 24. Owen Jones, who was his best cricketing pupil and would go on to be a Glamorgan stalwart in the 1890s, top-scored with 5. Newport then got their heads down and won the match by seven wickets, with the future Welsh rugby international George Harding making an unbeaten 31. Lewis continued his decent form on the 1879 London tour, as the Gentlemen of Sussex were beaten by the South Wales club by eight wickets. Lewis claimed four scalps, but his team then lost to Surrey Club and Ground, a side with eight first-class players aboard. ‘The visitors were in every way overmatched. Mr Shuter played a slashing innings and hit 50 out of 70. His hitting was brilliant in the extreme,’ said The Cambrian newspaper of the Surrey player’s second innings. Lewis made 10 and 39, and took just one wicket, but he fared better against M.C.C. at Lord’s, taking seven wickets in the match. It didn’t, though, lead to a Welsh victory as a century from Lord Anson laid the foundations for a 256-run win for M.C.C. That the M.C.C side included eight players who had appeared in first-class cricket, or would later do so, including Wilfred Flowers A Cup Held Aloft 58