Charles Llewellyn

CHARLES BENNETT LLEWELLYN, who at the close of the past season terminated his connection with Hampshire cricket, was born at Petermaritzburg on September 26th, 1876. He made a good end for the county, scoring 1,325 runs with an average of 32 and taking 133 wickets. When he found that the Hampshire Committee were not disposed to renew his engagement on the terms he asked he secured a place in the South African team for Australia, and on his return to England he will play for Accrington in the Lancashire League. Llewellyn first came into notice when playing in South Africa against Lord Hawke's team in the winter of 1895-96. Major Poore, then stationed in South Africa, was much impressed with his form and wrote home to the Hampshire authorities, advising them to secure the young cricketer's services. The result was that Llewellyn came to England in the spring of 1899 to qualify for the county. He lost no time in proving his value as an all-round man. Allowed by courtesy to play for Hampshire against the Australians he scored 72 and 21 and took eight wickets. Later in 1899 he went to America with Ranjitsinhji's team. During this brief tour he bowled with great success but failed as a batsman. Having duly qualified by two years' residence he became a regular member of the Hampshire eleven in 1901. His first season was in every way a success, as in county matches alone he scored 717 runs and took 115 wickets. His bowling was expensive, but he had a lot of work to do, and did not receive much support. In all first-class matches that year he accomplished the double feat of scoring a thousand runs and taking a hundred wickets. Eight years ago the ideas as to the qualification for Test Matches were not so strict as they are now, and in 1902 Llewellyn was one of the fourteen players from among whom the England team was chosen for the first Test match at Birmingham. When the final choice was made on the morning of the match he was not picked, but he stood down in good company, the other men left out being Hayward and J. R. Mason. During the season of 1902 Llewellyn took 170 wickets, but after that his medium pace bowling, once full of life and spin, began to fall off. No doubt he was a little overworked in Hampshire matches. However, he remained a first-rate batsman and last season, recovering his form in a remarkable way, he bowled as well as ever. Llewellyn is in the fullest sense of the words an all-round cricketer, his fielding being every bit as good as his batting and bowling. As a batsman he is one of the most punishing left-handers now before the public, his driving power being tremendous. Never has he given a more brilliant display than in the match against Kent at Dover in August, when he scored in an hour 91 runs out of 135, making half-a-dozen drives over the ring for six-five of them from Blythe's bowling. This was one of the most dazzling innings of the year. It should be mentioned that Llewellyn both bats and bowls left handed.