Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

By 1883 Lewis had commenced his training to be a solicitor in Llandovery, so he could have been forgiven for having spent less time than usual preparing for the new season. But there was little sign of it in the early matches, starting with a game between Llandovery Town and the College, spread over two weekends as he made a ‘superb’ 169 not out. He also enjoyed himself with the ball a few weeks later against Morriston, a growing power in local cricket, largely through the efforts of the Thissen brothers (one of of whom, Dan, became an impressive wicket-keeper with the early Glamorgan side). Nevertheless, Morriston were bowled out for 49 and reduced to 29 for four by the end of play as Lewis took seven for 14 in the first innings, five bowled and two lbw. Knighton came to Llandovery on a wet Monday in July, when ‘the home team had the best of luck on a nasty day’. For Knighton, ‘Cobden hit tremendously hard when the ball and ground were wet,’ reported the local newspaper, but in the second innings, the fiery bowling of Lewis and Douglas Jones was too strong as the Town side won. For the visit to Stradey Park to play Llanelli, Lewis moved up the order and opened the batting. He had a good game, scoring 49 and then taking seven for 31 as the home team were bowled out for 88. It was intended to be a benefit match for professional Frank Cruze, a Nottinghamshire man who stayed in South Wales and later became a newsagent. There was little charity shown as the beneficiary was lbw to Lewis for nought! Although their matches in London brought them prestige, the South Wales Club had not won at either Lord’s or The Oval since 1876: quite often they were simply heavily outgunned. Perhaps not surprisingly therefore, 1883 saw the Club abandon their London tour for a visit instead to North Wales, where the game had been increasing in popularity during the second half of the nineteenth century. Fixtures had been tentatively agreed with M.C.C. and Surrey for matches at Lord’s and The Oval, but these were scratched when an agreement was reached with Sydney Platt – a businessman and cricket nut, a species not unknown even in the twenty-first century – who organised country-house matches on his Bryn-y-neaudd estate at Llanfairfechan, overlooking Anglesey and the Menai Straits. Platt was a friend of A.N.Hornby 24 who 70 A Gentleman of South Wales 24 Hornby, aged 36 in 1883, had been Lancashire captain since 1880 and had played for Lord Harris’ side in Australia in 1878/79 and in The Oval Test match of 1882. He had played in nine England rugby internationals and, like Platt, was a fox-hunting enthusiast.