Charles Prytherch Lewis (1853-1923), quick bowler and hard hitting batsman, played an important part in the rise of Welsh cricket, despite his background in rural Carmarthenshire, away from big towns and cities. From Llandovery he went on to play for Oxford University, in 1876, at a time when that ancient institution supplied top cricketers, athletes and footballers (in two codes), to the world. He took seven for 35 in his first-ever first-class match, and was one of the first Welshmen to play for Oxford. Returning to Llandovery, he enthused cricketers and rugby players, and built up the College into a formidable sporting force. He himself played for the South Wales Cricket Club, Glamorgan’s predecessor, and represented Wales in several early international rugby matches. Later, he brought his skills as a lawyer to bear on the organisations running those two games. And long after his skills had declined, he ‘turned out’ for Carmarthenshire in Minor Counties championship cricket.

Using material from a range of sources, Bob Harragan and Andrew Hignell, two specialists in Welsh cricket history, bring together – for the first time – a full tale of one of the big men in Welsh cricket and rugby.