Claude Lewis BEM (27 July 1908 – 27 April 1993) was an English cricketer. He played 128 first-class matches between 1933 and 1953, all of them for Kent County Cricket Club.[1][2]

Claude Lewis
Personal information
Born(1908-07-27)27 July 1908
Sittingbourne, Kent
Died27 April 1993(1993-04-27) (aged 84)
Borstal, Rochester, Kent
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleBowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1933–1953Kent
FC debut7 June 1933 Kent v MCC
Last FC8 August 1953 Kent v Leicestershire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 128
Runs scored 738
Batting average 6.41
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 27
Balls bowled 18,333
Wickets 301
Bowling average 27.23
5 wickets in innings 14
10 wickets in match 4
Best bowling 8/58
Catches/stumpings 61/–
Source: Cricinfo, 23 August 2020

Lewis was born at Sittingbourne in Kent in 1908, the son of shipwright Bertie Lewis and his wife Kate (née Thurlow). The family also had a business restoring antique furniture. Lewis was educated at Borden Grammar School in the town, where he played cricket in the school XI. He was taken on to the playing staff at Kent in 1928 and made his debut for the Second XI the following season, playing against Devon in the Minor Counties Championship.[2][3]

Primarily a bowler, Lewis made his First XI debut in 1933 and played 128 matches for the county side between then and 1953.[2] He played frequently until the 1946 season, although he was never a consistent first choice bowler, and in 1947 primarily became a coach, assisting Punter Humphreys. He took over from Humphreys in 1949, although he played occasional matches during the season and made a final First XI appearance in 1953.[3] He took 301 wickets, with best bowling figures of eight wickets for the cost of 58 runs.[2]

Lewis was awarded his county cap in 1933 and a benefit season in 1952. Even after becoming the side's coach he played occasionally for the Second XI until 1957. He later served as the county's scorer, finally retiring in 1988. He was honoured with a second benefit season in 1978 and awarded the British Empire Medal in the 1989 New Year Honours for services to cricket.[3][4]

Lewis died at Borstal near Rochester in 1993. He was aged 84.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Claude Lewis, CricInfo. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Claude Lewis, CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 May 2023. (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b c Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part Two: 1919–1939, pp. 109–113. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 7 August 2022.)
  4. ^ Lewis, Claude BEM, Obituaries in 1993, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1994. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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