Lives in Cricket No 27 - CB Llewellyn

96 Family Arrangements nine successes as against seven defeats. Buck achieved an analysis of seven wickets for 35 against Enfield which led to victory by six wickets, and a week later Church were beaten by the wide margin of 110 runs. Buck’s innings of 39 contributed to a big second- wicket stand of 108 with opener William Finney, and he sent down 15 accurate overs for only 31 runs and two wickets. When Enfield were defeated by five wickets in the return match, three cheap wickets and an innings of 50, as opening bat, showed how valuable a member of his side Buck still was. His most satisfying performance came on 18 July in the home match with Church. Following the swift departure of Jackson, one of the openers, Buck joined Finney in a lengthy partnership, followed by another for the third wicket with Stansfield Smith, and the innings ended with a declaration when Buck was bowled with his score on 105, and the team’s total on 237 for three. He followed by bowling 18 overs and three balls to dismiss four Church batsmen for 65, leading to Accrington’s victory by 85 runs. By the end of the season his total of runs was 648, and his average 27.00, which placed him second in the Club’s averages and fourth in the league batting tables. His 85 wickets cost 11.30 each, a higher average than in any season since 1921, which placed him no higher than third among the regular Accrington bowlers, and as low as eighteenth in the League averages over all. Stanley Ellis and William Hickmott, professionals for Colne and Ramsbottom respectively, had averages of 7.00 and 7.35 for the 1926 season. A little edge had perhaps gone from his bowling, but Accrington still finished fifth in the League. At some time during the season, it was announced that Buck, at the age of 50, would be leaving the club. Brooking noted that the presence of the three South Africans, C.P.Carter, J.M.Blanckenberg and Llewellyn, was a source of attraction wherever they had appeared. More than that he noted that it was difficult to determine who was the best batsman in the Lancashire League. He placed Buck among the first five, concluding: whatever the future may bring forth, the old Maritzburg boy may look back on his last season in the Lancashire League with the utmost satisfaction. His bowling may not be quite so good as of yore, but it is still more than useful and he has lost little of his great skill with the willow. We shall miss him … . In the ten years he was professional with Accrington, he made 6,276 runs and took 979 wickets. In his career there he reached a century ten times. His score of 188*, against Bacup in 1913,