Lives in Cricket No 27 - CB Llewellyn

80 Accrington neighbouring towns, Accrington and Church. There was also, from the beginning, the custom of employing one or (until 1900) two professionals on each side: Saul Wade of Yorkshire and Jack Mee from Nottingham were early paid performers for Accrington. By 1910, Tom Rushby, the well-known Surrey fast bowler, was fulfilling that role for them after he fell out with his county committee, but he soon reached an impasse with the Accrington officials too and reverted to Surrey, leaving the club to find a successor. Hence the approach to Buck Llewellyn in the summer of 1910. Accrington’s signing of Llewellyn hit the headlines. The Northern Daily Telegraph reported that the Accrington Club were among the most enterprising in the League: ‘Last season they provided big gates for themselves and other league clubs by engaging Rushby as pro. This year they have created another sensation by engaging Llewellyn, the South African, who has recently been starring in Australia.’ Buck played his first innings for the club on Saturday, 6 May 1911. The paper described his performance: ‘There was something fresh in Lancashire League cricket. Every stroke was made with the ease and confidence of an artist with the bat. The ball was nearly always skilfully placed and kept low. His play was in all respect a refreshing contrast with the rule in Lancashire League cricket.’ His score was only 30, but he had set his standard high. In 1960, S.T.Pilkington enthused: Never before or since has the club had a professional like Llewellyn. He was the complete artist in all phases of the game, whether it be playing or coaching … his fielding was positively brilliant and he took some amazing catches close to the wicket, or in the mid-off position. One day at Nelson he took a catch from Shipman, the Nelson professional, which astonished everyone on the ground. The ball was hit with terrific force a few inches from the ground, but with great nonchalance Charlie took it one-handed. His batting was a dream. He never seemed to hit the ball hard, but through perfect timing and supple wrist-work, the ball sped from his bat at great speed. He adapted himself to all sorts of conditions and although he was normally a quick scorer, there were occasions when he would shut an end up. His performances inspired his amateur colleague, Billy Ormerod, who added 206 with Llewellyn for the second wicket against Haslingden on 22 July 1911; they shared in many huge partnerships over the five seasons up to 1915, and in the first