Empire Cricket Booklet

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TWO CRICKETERS AND A WRITER

miss of all could be attributed to the umpire, Alfred Soames. South Africa had taken a 106-run first innings lead and England were 150/5 in their second innings. Pelham Warner was then 82 not out when everyone except the umpire thought that Llewellyn had him stumped. Warner went on to carry his bat for 132, England reached 237 and the South Africans were bowled out for 99. Their defeat was by 32 runs - Soames later admitted that he had made an 'irremediable blunder' and that it had cost South Africa their first-ever Test victory. 33 When Wamer recalled the match, he wrote that South Africa 'had three outstanding cricketers in Halliwell, Sinclair and Llewell yn , each one of whom would have adorned any eleven, Halliwell being one

Llewellyn did not play in the Second Test. Press reports indicated that he declared himself unavailable. The Cape Times announced in a terse report: 'Mr B Llewellyn, the Natal bowler, has notified his inability to accept his place in the South African Test match on April 1 owing to business reasons.' 36 The Transvaal newspapers were not convinced, believing the sensitive Llewellyn had been upset by the machinations of the Cape. The Star commented: The one thing to be deplored is the absence of Llewellyn, undoubtedly the finest bowler in South Africa. Though he did not gain the best average in the Johannesburg Test match, the Englishmen were unanimous in awarding him the palm as the trickiest bowler of the

The South African team for the First Test against Lord Hawke's touring side in 1898/99 Left to right, standing: G. H. Shepstone, J. H. Sinclair, W. R. T. Solomon Seated: J. Middleton, V. M. Tancred, M. Bisset (captain),

H. H. Francis, R. R. Dower In front: C. B. Llewellyn, G. A. Rowe, R. Graham

of the greatest of wicket-keepers and Sinclair and Llewellyn fine all-rounders'. 34 Sinclair went on to score South Africa's first-ever hundred at Newlands in the Second Test and was one wicket away from being the first cricketer to score a century and take ten wickets in a Test. 35

lot; while as a batsman one might say he is as likely to make runs as anybody, and as a fielder there was not a man on either side that could compare with him. Llewellyn, youngster though he is, has proved himself the best all-round player in South Africa, and his absence from the