Lives in Cricket No 27 - CB Llewellyn

83 occasions, the best return being seven for 16 against Haslingden on 6 July. If Accrington benefitted as much from Buck’s reputation as a current Test player as they did from his performances on the field in 1912, they enjoyed a highly successful season, increasing their victories to eight, while still losing only three matches. One of these defeats, by 61 runs from rivals Church on 13 July, caused a local stir, and greatly disturbed Llewellyn. It was the custom to whitewash the scores of the games between the two clubs on the wall at the boundary of the two parishes, Accrington and Oswaldtwistle, where the Church Club is located. ‘CCC144 ACC 83’ pointed up the former’s victory clearly enough, but the text was accompanied by brushwork showing a figure leaning over a brazier and a reference to Llewellyn as ‘Llewellyn now warm’. Buck was hardly responsible for his team’s defeat – he claimed six wickets for 49 and scored 17 – but to him the artwork was inspired by derision based on racism and he hotly protested, threatening to leave his club. As a result of his initial objection to the picture, the portion which had given offence was obliterated, only to be followed the next day by another painting designed, according to the Accrington Observer and Times , as a sequel. The paper judged that the personal element would have been better left undone, while Buck was reported as complaining that he would prefer ‘to leave the club than be called upon to endure the publicly exposed and unjustifiable and ill-natured derision of any man!’ There were clearly racial connotations in the depiction of Buck standing over a brazier and he was quick to spot them. The disturbance blew over, but it gives an indication of his sensitivity when the question of his racial characteristics might have arisen. Accrington This brushwork on an Accrington wall in 1912, suggesting Buck was unaccustomed to English weather, caused him great offence.