Beverley Lyon
Encyclopedia
Beverley Hamilton "Bev" Lyon, born at Caterham
, Surrey
on 19 January 1902 and died at Balcombe
, Sussex
on 22 June 1970, was a cricketer
who played for Oxford University
and Gloucestershire
. He was a bespectacled middle-order batsman and a fine close fielder who held forthright and, for his time, outspoken views on cricket captaincy and cricket traditions and who was given full rein by his county, Gloucestershire, to express his views as captain for six years from 1929.
at Sheffield
in which, after two rain-ruined days, he and the Yorkshire captain agreed to declare their counties' first innings after one ball had been bowled to bring about a result on the second innings. The rules were changed for the following season to allow for a one-innings match in similar circumstances.
Lyon brought Gloucestershire greater success than the county had seen since the days of W. G. Grace
. In 1929 and 1930, they won more matches than any other county; in 1930 and 1931 they finished second. Lyon was aided, no doubt, by having Walter Hammond, perhaps England
's finest batsman of the time in the side. And the three years of success coincided as well with the last truly effective years of the great slow left-arm bowler Charlie Parker
and the first effective years of Parker's successor, the off break
bowler Tom Goddard
. But the captaincy of Lyon was regarded as a vital factor, and he was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931. The citation in Wisden
suggested that he might be a future captain of England, but that did not happen.
Lyon's Gloucestershire career began in 1921; he also won a Blue at Oxford in 1922 and 1923. He resigned from the Gloucestershire captaincy after three more moderate years from 1932 to 1934, but played intermittently until 1947. He had also played Minor Counties cricket for Wiltshire
in 1920.
Lyon's older brother, Malcolm Douglas Lyon
, known as Dar, played for Cambridge University
and Somerset
. The brothers were on opposing sides in the 1922 Varsity match. And in 1930, in the match between Somerset and Gloucestershire at Taunton
, Dar scored 210 after being dropped twice by Goddard, but Bev replied with a century of his own and led his side to victory by eight wickets.
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 19 January 1902 and died at Balcombe
Balcombe
Balcombe may refer to:* Balcombe, West Sussex, England* Balcombe Street Siege, IRA Incident in London* Graham Balcombe, pioneer cave diver* David Balcombe, cricketer...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
on 22 June 1970, was a cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. He was a bespectacled middle-order batsman and a fine close fielder who held forthright and, for his time, outspoken views on cricket captaincy and cricket traditions and who was given full rein by his county, Gloucestershire, to express his views as captain for six years from 1929.
Biography
Some of Lyon's views – on Sunday cricket and on a knockout cup, for instance – were by some distance too far ahead of their time. But in 1931, he was involved in a "rule-bending" match against YorkshireYorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
at Sheffield
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
in which, after two rain-ruined days, he and the Yorkshire captain agreed to declare their counties' first innings after one ball had been bowled to bring about a result on the second innings. The rules were changed for the following season to allow for a one-innings match in similar circumstances.
Lyon brought Gloucestershire greater success than the county had seen since the days of W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
. In 1929 and 1930, they won more matches than any other county; in 1930 and 1931 they finished second. Lyon was aided, no doubt, by having Walter Hammond, perhaps England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
's finest batsman of the time in the side. And the three years of success coincided as well with the last truly effective years of the great slow left-arm bowler Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker (cricketer)
Charles Warrington Leonard "Charlie" Parker was an English cricketer, who stands as the third highest wicket taker in the history of first-class cricket, behind Wilfred Rhodes and Tich Freeman.-Life and career:Parker took no serious attention to cricket in his childhood, preferring to concentrate...
and the first effective years of Parker's successor, the off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
bowler Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket....
. But the captaincy of Lyon was regarded as a vital factor, and he was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931. The citation in Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
suggested that he might be a future captain of England, but that did not happen.
Lyon's Gloucestershire career began in 1921; he also won a Blue at Oxford in 1922 and 1923. He resigned from the Gloucestershire captaincy after three more moderate years from 1932 to 1934, but played intermittently until 1947. He had also played Minor Counties cricket for Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in 1920.
Lyon's older brother, Malcolm Douglas Lyon
Dar Lyon
Malcolm Douglas Lyon , generally known as Dar Lyon was an English first-class cricketer who played for Somerset County Cricket Club through the 1920s...
, known as Dar, played for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
. The brothers were on opposing sides in the 1922 Varsity match. And in 1930, in the match between Somerset and Gloucestershire at Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Dar scored 210 after being dropped twice by Goddard, but Bev replied with a century of his own and led his side to victory by eight wickets.