Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Chris Lewis (cricketer)
View on Wikipedia
Clairmonte Christopher Lewis (born 14 February 1968[1])[2] is an English former cricketer, who played for Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Leicestershire in the 1990s. He played in 32 Test matches and 53 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for England between 1990 and 1998. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Key Information
Lewis was regarded as an aggressive lower-order batsman, fine fast-medium bowler and an able all-round fielder. He was regarded as a colourful player of the game, who never quite lived up to his early potential.[2] He was later convicted of drug smuggling.
International career
[edit]Lewis was drafted into the England squad to tour the West Indies in 1990 when Ricardo Ellcock pulled out through injury,[3] making his one-day international debut during the tour. He made his Test debut the following summer against New Zealand.[4]
He pulled out of England's disappointing tour of Australia the following winter after only one Test, but made an instant impact on his return to the Test team against the West Indies at Birmingham in 1991, taking 6 for 111 (which remained his best Test bowling figures) and scoring 65 (his first Test half-century) batting at no.10.[5] That winter he helped England to a series victory in New Zealand, scoring 70 in the first Test,[6] and taking 5 for 31 in the second.[7] He then helped England to the final of 1992 Cricket World Cup, highlights coming when he won the man of the match awards in wins against the West Indies (where his wickets included Brian Lara),[8] and Sri Lanka, where he took his best one-day international bowling, 4 for 30.[9] Only player of the tournament Martin Crowe won more man of the match awards in the tournament.[10] However, England lost the final, Lewis being dismissed first-ball by Wasim Akram.[11]
His first Test century,[12] in Madras on the occasion of his 25th birthday, on England's 1993 tour of India, gave hope for a bright international future.[2] However England lost all their four Tests that winter, Lewis was dropped after the Lord's test against Australia in 1993, and this remained his only Test century.
Lewis was labelled "The Prat without a Hat" by The Sun, after he was forced to pull out of the first match of England's tour of the West Indies in 1994 with sunstroke after enlisting Devon Malcolm's help to shave his head to raise money for Children in Need, and then not wearing any protection.[13] According to Martin Williamson, this Sun headline "came to haunt Lewis for the remainder of his career".[14] Nonetheless, uniquely among England's bowlers on the tour he did appear in all five matches in the Test series against the West Indies, taking seven wickets to bowl England to the brink of a winning position in the third Test at Trinidad before England's batsmen collapsed to a devastating spell from Curtly Ambrose.[15] To Lewis fell the dubious honour of bowling when Lara broke Garfield Sobers' record for the highest individual Test score in the final Test of the series at Antigua,[16] although Lewis also made an unbeaten 75 as England drew the match.[17] However, he was then dropped from the Test team, though continuing to appear in some one-day internationals and featuring in the England side which won the Hong Kong Sixes in 1994.[18] He was recalled to the Test side as an injury replacement the following winter during the 1994-95 Ashes, taking 4 for 24 as England won an unexpected victory in the fourth Test at Adelaide,[19] but after the next Test was dropped again.
He was recalled for the Birmingham test in 1996, taking his third Test five-wicket haul as England beat India,[20] but was dropped again at the end of the summer, and thereafter only played two more one-day internationals. His international career ended in 1998.[14]
In the run-up to the 1999 Cricket World Cup, England national coach David Lloyd and captain Alec Stewart requested Lewis's inclusion in the team owing to his skill with the new ball, but were refused permission to choose him by the selectors, due to concerns about Lewis's behaviour.[21]
Domestic career
[edit]Lewis had a nomadic county career, starting with Leicestershire before moving to Nottinghamshire. In 1996 he moved to Surrey, and in 1998 returned to Leicestershire. Highlights included winning the 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup with Surrey,[22] and winning the 1998 County Championship with Leicestershire. During the latter campaign, he captained Leicestershire in a number of their matches.[23]
Lewis always felt he was driven out of county cricket after alleging that three England teammates had taken bribes to throw matches (a charge that was never substantiated).
In 2006, he captained Clifton Cricket Club, in the Central Lancashire Cricket League, where he opened the batting and the bowling. In his spare time, he also coached children in Berkshire.
He played four games for Stockton in the Newcastle District Cricket Association in 2007/08.[24]
In 2008, Lewis re-signed for Twenty20 matches for Surrey, in light of his bowling experience.[25] However, his comeback was short and unsuccessful. He played one Friends Provident Trophy game, in which he conceded 51 runs in six overs, and one Twenty20 match. He took no wickets in either.[26]
Post-Retirement Life
[edit]Following his retirement, Lewis worked as a cricket coach, and also worked for the local council in Nottinghamshire.[27]
On 8 December 2008, Lewis was arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of smuggling 3.37 kilograms of liquid cocaine, with a street value of about £140,000, into the United Kingdom on a flight from Saint Lucia. Lewis claimed that he was returning from holiday in St Lucia and that the drugs had been planted in his luggage by a third party.[28] After a trial at Croydon Crown Court, on 20 May 2009 Lewis and his accomplice, basketball player Chad Kirnon, were found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison.[29][30] He was released in June 2015 after serving six years of his sentence at HMP High Down.[31]
Following his release, Lewis worked with the PCA, teaching players to plan for the future. He released a biography about his experiences (Crazy: My Road to Redemption), and was also the subject of a play (The Long Walk Back) about his time in prison. Lewis also works as a motivational speaker.[32][33]
References
[edit]- ^ "Birthdays". The Guardian. 14 February 2014. p. 41.
- ^ a b c Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. p. 110. ISBN 1-869833-21-X.
- ^ "Lewis case sends a warning - Fraser". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of England vs New Zealand, 3rd Test 1990". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of England vs West Indies, 4th Test 1991". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of England v New Zealand, 1st Test 1991-2". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of England v New Zealand, 2nd Test 1991-2". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of England vs West Indies, 8th Match 1991-92". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of England vs Sri Lanka, 23rd Match 1991-92". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Statistics/One-day internationals/All-round records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of Pakistan vs England, Final 1991-92". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of India vs England, 2nd Test 1992-93". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Berry, Scyld (22 March 2019). "Exclusive: Chris Lewis and the long walk back to redemption - 'I wouldn't wish experience of jail on anybody'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ a b "The prat without a hat". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of West Indies vs England, 3rd Test 1993-4". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "The world record that nearly wasn't". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of West Indies v England, 5th Test 1993-4". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Hong Kong Sixes Tournament Participating Squads". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of England vs Australia, 4th Test 1994-95". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Full scorecard of India vs England, 1st Test 1996". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Sean (29 May 2019). "Stewart, Lloyd, Hollioake On England's Horrific 1999 Cricket World Cup". Wisden. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "Benson & Hedges Cup final - Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "1998 domestic season County Championship". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "England A quick Graham Onions joins Stockton". 13 January 2009. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Veteran Lewis re-signed by Surrey". BBC News. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ Booth, Lawrence (December 2008). "That sinking feeling". The Wisden Cricketer. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
- ^ "Chris Lewis to work with PCA after prison release for drug offences". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Cocaine charge cricketer remanded". BBC News. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ^ Kennedy, Maev (20 May 2009). "Former England cricketer Chris Lewis gets 13 years for cocaine smuggling". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "Drug smuggling cricketer jailed". BBC News. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "Lewis released from prison". ESPNcricinfo. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- ^ "Chris Lewis: 'Did other cricketers keep in touch when I went to prison? No'". The Independent. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ Berry, Scyld (22 March 2019). "Exclusive: Chris Lewis and the long walk back to redemption - 'I wouldn't wish experience of jail on anybody'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
External links
[edit]Chris Lewis (cricketer)
View on GrokipediaEarly life
Birth and upbringing in Guyana
Clairmonte Christopher Lewis, known by the nickname "Carl," was born on 14 February 1968 in Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana.[2] Standing at 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), he is a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler by playing style.[2][11] Lewis grew up in a family where his father worked as a Baptist preacher, which shaped aspects of his early environment in Guyana.[3] His childhood on the east coast of Guyana was described by Lewis himself as extremely happy, reflecting a stable and positive formative period before the family relocated to England when he was 10 years old.[12][13] While specific details on siblings or additional parental occupations are not widely documented, Lewis's early years in Guyana provided the cultural foundation for his later life, with no recorded formal involvement in cricket during this time; his exposure to the sport began after immigration.[14][4]Immigration to England and early development
At the age of 10, in 1978, Chris Lewis moved from Guyana to England with his family to join his father, who had already relocated there for better opportunities.[15] Settling in North London, Lewis faced the challenges of adapting to a new culture and environment, particularly after his parents separated shortly after the move, leaving him to be raised primarily by his mother and grandmother in a strict, religious household influenced by his father's background as a Baptist preacher.[3] This period of transition involved navigating community integration as a young immigrant, where he often felt like an outsider amid the multicultural dynamics of urban London.[14] Lewis attended Willesden High School in North West London, a comprehensive known for its strong sports program that nurtured several future athletes, including fellow cricketer Phillip DeFreitas, whom he met there, as well as footballer Luther Blissett and goalkeeper Dave Beasant.[7] At school, he prioritized physical activities over academics, excelling in multiple sports and beginning to channel his energy into cricket, which provided a sense of belonging and purpose in his new surroundings.[16] His early involvement in cricket started informally through school teams, where his natural athleticism—marked by speed, coordination, and competitiveness—began to emerge, helping him build confidence despite the cultural adjustments.[7] As a teenager, Lewis progressed to local club cricket in London, initially self-taught and learning through trial and error after early experiences where he was "smashed around" in matches.[7] His all-rounder talents became evident during these outings: a right-arm fast-medium bowler with pace and swing, a hard-hitting lower-order batsman, and an agile fielder, particularly sharp in the covers.[17] A pivotal moment came when he was spotted by former England bowler and Leicestershire scout Ken Higgs during a match at Lord's, who recognized his raw potential and provided initial guidance that honed his skills before any professional contract.[7] This mentorship, combined with his school and club experiences, laid the foundation for his development as a promising young cricketer in England's domestic system.Domestic career
Leicestershire years (1987–1991, 1998–2000)
Chris Lewis made his professional debut for Leicestershire in June 1987 at the age of 19, marking the start of his entry into first-class and List A cricket as a promising all-rounder.[4] His initial stint with the county from 1987 to 1991 saw him develop as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and middle-order batsman, contributing to the team's efforts in the County Championship and Benson & Hedges Cup. During this period, Lewis played in both formats, honing his skills alongside established players and establishing himself as a versatile contributor capable of impactful bowling spells and useful runs lower down the order.[2] After spells with other counties, Lewis returned to Leicestershire in 1998 as vice-captain, bringing experience from his international career to bolster the side. In the 1998 season, he captained the team in over half of their matches, providing leadership during a triumphant County Championship campaign that culminated in Leicestershire's second title in three years. His all-round contributions were pivotal, including sensational fielding in the gully and disciplined bowling that supported the attack led by players like Phil Simmons. Lewis's return helped stabilize the batting and added depth to the bowling, with notable performances such as half-centuries in rescue efforts during limited-overs games.[18][19] Throughout his two periods with Leicestershire (1987–1991 and 1998–2000), Lewis featured in numerous first-class and List A matches, amassing runs and wickets that underscored his role as a key team player. His overall domestic statistics reflect a batting average around 30 and bowling average near 28 across 189 first-class games, with significant portions tied to his Leicestershire tenures where he formed important partnerships and delivered match-turning spells. The 1998 title win highlighted his growth into a leadership figure, contributing to the county's success against more resourced opponents.[1][2]Nottinghamshire and Surrey stints (1992–1997, 2008)
Lewis transferred to Nottinghamshire ahead of the 1992 season, a major coup for the county given his emerging status as an England international in both Test and One-Day formats.[4] Over four seasons with the club from 1992 to 1995, he featured in 37 first-class matches, capturing 127 wickets while amassing 2,256 runs at an average of 47, demonstrating his value as a versatile all-rounder.[4] In List A cricket for Nottinghamshire, he played 41 matches, scoring 802 runs and securing 49 wickets.[4] His standout year came in 1994, when he earned his county cap and delivered a career-best domestic performance with 881 runs at 58.73 and 46 wickets at 23.52, also winning The Cricket Society Wetherall Award for the fastest scorer that season.[20][21] However, Lewis's time at Nottinghamshire was hampered by recurring injuries, including a hip issue that sidelined him for much of the 1995 season and contributed to a condition known as Raynaud's phenomenon affecting his circulation.[22] These problems, combined with his desire to relocate closer to London for family reasons, led to the termination of his contract that year. Seeking a fresh start, Lewis joined Surrey in 1996, where he quickly received his county cap and contributed to the team's success in limited-overs cricket.[21] In first-class matches that season, he played 14 games, scoring 639 runs at an average of 31.95, including four half-centuries with a highest of 94, helping Surrey secure the Sunday League title.[23][12] The following year, his first-class output dipped to 389 runs at 22.88 across 13 matches, with one half-century of 76, amid ongoing form inconsistencies linked to prior injuries.[24] Nonetheless, he played a pivotal role in Surrey's 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup victory, taking 3-39 in the final against Kent at Lord's and stepping in to captain the side for several matches when regular leaders were unavailable.[20][25] After an eight-year absence from professional cricket due to persistent hip troubles that ultimately forced his retirement in 2000, Lewis staged a brief comeback with Surrey in 2008 on a pay-as-you-play contract specifically for the Twenty20 Cup.[2] At age 40, he appeared in just one T20 match, scoring 2 runs while conceding 29 without taking a wicket, as a re-aggravated hip injury curtailed any further involvement and rendered the return unsuccessful.[21][2]Key domestic achievements and statistics
Chris Lewis enjoyed a distinguished domestic career in English county cricket spanning from 1987 to 2008, primarily as a versatile all-rounder capable of contributing significantly with both bat and ball in first-class and List A formats.[26] His ability to swing the ball effectively at medium-fast pace, combined with aggressive lower-order batting, made him a valuable asset across multiple counties, where he amassed over 11,000 runs and 850 wickets in domestic competitions.[2] Among his key achievements, Lewis played a pivotal role in Surrey's 1996 National League (Sunday League) victory, contributing 28 wickets at an average of 19.21 during the campaign, and their subsequent 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup triumph, where he took 14 wickets in the tournament at 18.50.[2] Returning to Leicestershire, he served as acting captain for much of the 1998 season, helping the side secure their first and only County Championship title that year, with personal figures of 1,112 runs at 37.06 and 45 wickets at 27.91.[18] Lewis's domestic statistical legacy underscores his all-round prowess. In first-class cricket, he featured in 189 matches, scoring 7,406 runs at an average of 30.73 with a highest score of 247, while claiming 543 wickets at 29.88. In List A cricket across 266 matches, he accumulated 3,959 runs at 24.59 (highest 116 not out) and took 312 wickets at 26.38.[26]| Format | Matches | Runs | Batting Avg | Wickets | Bowling Avg | Best Batting | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 189 | 7,406 | 30.73 | 543 | 29.88 | 247 | 6-22 |
| List A | 266 | 3,959 | 24.59 | 312 | 26.38 | 116* | 5-19 |
