Lives in Cricket No 27 - CB Llewellyn

38 this season and he played only one first-class match for them, against W.G.’s old home side, Gloucestershire. London County fielded more amateurs this year than in 1902, perhaps because of financial difficulties. Again, for MCC versus Derbyshire at Lord’s, starting on 21 May, five of the opposition fell to him for 65, and he scored 23 and six not out as MCC won by nine wickets. Derbyshire were then the opponents in Hampshire’s first match at Southampton; on 1 June, he went into bat with his county faltering on 54 for three, which soon became 63 for four. At this point he was joined by E.I.M.Barrett. Around 140 minutes later, Buck was bowled by Arnold Warren with his total on 148, and the pair had increased the score by 231, overtaking the county’s fifth-wicket partnership record. He smote one six and 20 fours, and Barrett hit up 92. A.J.L.Hill stroked his way to 150 in the second innings and with Hesketh-Prichard collecting seven victims in Derbyshire’s second innings, Hampshire strode on to victory by 261. No doubt wearied by his big score, Buck’s analyses were one wicket for 104 and three wickets for 80. Buck achieved little in the remaining matches in June up to the fixture with Worcestershire which began on the 29th. He scored 74 and 32, but went wicketless at the cost of 116 runs in the Midland county’s first innings and ominously did not bowl in their second, when Hesketh-Prichard, who took six wickets for 74 and the young Fred Kitchener, three for 50, bowled virtually unchanged. Worcestershire emerged victorious by 91 runs. In the following match, the most which could be said of Buck’s performance in the Sussex first innings at Hove – 492 runs off 164.2 overs – was that it was persevering: Buck’s figures were 62-13-192-4. The home side eventually won by ten wickets. He showed a return to form in the match against the Philadelphian tourists which began on 16 July. The Americans were without their star performer, J.B. ‘Bart’ King, a penetrating opening bowler who put to good use the arts of swinging the ball, which he had perfected in baseball. In reply to their score of 230, the Hampshire total stood at 133 for four when Llewellyn joined Hill; the pair added 205. Hill batted for two hours for his 120, while Llewellyn, who had dismissed six of the tourists for 109, reached three figures in 120 minutes. He was still undefeated on 136 at the end of the second day, but rain prevented play on the third. He achieved little as Hampshire lost heavily to Kent, Surrey and Derbyshire in succession and then also Sussex and Warwickshire, ‘Not Quite As Sharp As He Used To Be’