Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

prepared by C.P., and their talismanic tutor was in fine form himself, top-scoring in the match with 56 – Owen Jones made 35 – out of 126, before being the leading wicket-taker as Cadoxton replied with just 37 and 24. Llandovery thus won the contest comprehensively, held again at St. Helen’s. Lewis had six wickets in the first innings, though other bowlers were used in the second. A bye – an odd position in the progress of the tournament to have such an arrangement – then put Llandovery straight into the final at the Arms Park on 30 and 31 July, against a Cardiff side chock-full of the leading players in the region, and colleagues of C.P. in the South Wales eleven. Besides Edmund David, the Riches brothers and Edwin Jones, their side also included J.P.Jones – a leading architect in the Taff-side town and, like C.P., an enthusiastic supporter of rugby. In the course of the next few years, Jones also became a pivotal figure in the creation of Glamorgan C.C.C., drawing wisely on his many friends in the social and political world, as well as his colleagues from the South Wales club. C.P. contributed little if anything to the formation of the Glamorgan county club. There are now no records as to why Lewis and Jones did not see eye to eye when a fully fledged county side was formed, so there may be much more – hidden, perhaps for ever, in the mists of time. The entries in the scoresheet, reproduced below, show how Lewis dismissed Jones in each innings, and then by virtue of his first innings score of 40, became top-scorer in the match. Indeed, Jones was one of nine victims for Lewis, and through his efforts with bat and ball, the scholars were left needing just 33 to win the Cup. But Edwin Jones then produced one of the most devastating spells of bowling ever seen at the Arms Park, as he took nine for 10 with the youngsters being bustled out for just 14. C.P. departed for a duck, and we can only wonder whether a few caustic words were exchanged between the proud schoolmaster and the Cardiff architect, when Lewis returned to the pavilion with his dream of winning the Challenge Cup with his young charges now lying in tatters as Cardiff won the cup by 18 runs. Cardiff W.H.Williams b C.P.Lewis 7 b O.Jones 3 E.U.David b C.P.Lewis 5 c Evans b C.P.Lewis 0 W.L.Yorath not out 1 b Jones 4 A.E.David b C.P.Lewis 7 b O.Jones 12 J.P.Jones b C.P.Lewis 2 b C.P.Lewis 19 A Cup Held Aloft 60