Lives in Cricket No 11 - CP Lewis

country solicitor, handling conveyancing, dealing with wills, financial affairs, and appearances at the local magistrates’ court, allowing him to build even further his list of contacts and acquaintances. He duly qualified as a solicitor in January 1887 and appears in the Law Lists of the time, in the same practice as Charles Bishop, styled in the early days as Snow, Snow and Fox, a splendidly lawyerly title, one of three or four small solicitors’ practices in Llandovery. It seems likely that his sociability enabled the practice to grow, and having spent so much of his time in the Llandovery area, the chance of rising to the top of local society, and being a really big fish in a small pool, now seems to have appealed to him greatly. By now, he probably had less appetite for getting involved in a new county club, with its focus some distance away from Llandovery. The peace and quiet of the country town and its rural surroundings probably meant more to him than the cut-and-thrust of the rapidly expanding industrial settlement at the mouth of the River Taff, never mind having to associate with the urban bourgeoisie such as J.P.Jones. Had he particularly wanted to, Lewis might have commanded a place in the Glamorgan side – he might even have been its captain – as he remained an effective performer for several years in club cricket in West Wales, as well as playing for M.C.C. in various matches during his time off from his solicitor’s practice. With his West Wales connections, though, it is unlikely he would have felt any close affinity with Glamorgan. He played for Llandovery against Llanelli in August 1887, scoring 41 at number three, and sharing a productive partnership with Douglas Jones, who made 90. Lewis took five wickets, having the Llanelli and Wales fly-half J.G. ‘Johnny Bach’ Lewis – we should think of him as the Stephen Jones or Phil Bennett of his day – caught by Jones for nine. The growing strength of adult cricket over the schoolboy game can be seen in 1888, when Llandovery Town ran up 334 for three against the College, D.T.M.Jones making 158 and C.P.Lewis 152 not out, the entire innings lasting just three and a quarter hours. Things had changed dramatically in ten years, including, in the previous year, the College ground being moved to its present location alongside the River Tywi, although the square was nearer the College end until a revamp just before World War Two. A pavilion was added in 1892, and it was that ground which was used for representative matches. The Town Club played elsewhere, probably alongside the Castle, on land now Llandovery’s municipal Sporting Solicitor 93