Chris Lewis (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Chris Lewis is an English
cricket
er, who played for Nottinghamshire
, Surrey
and Leicestershire
in the 1990s. He played in thirty two Tests
and fifty three ODIs for England from 1990 to 1998.
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.
on the occasion of his 25th birthday, on England's 1993 tour of India, gave hope for a bright international future.
Lewis was labelled “The Prat without a Hat” by The Sun
, after he was forced off the field with sunstroke having shaved his head and not worn any protection, during the first match of England's tour of the West Indies
in 1994.
Lewis always felt he was driven out of county cricket
, after alleging that three England team-mates had taken bribes to throw matches (a charge that was never substantiated). He was subsequently jeered by crowds and cold-shouldered by players, including his county teammates. It coincided with a decline in his form, and he left professional cricket, aged just 32.
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.
In 2008, Lewis re-signed for Twenty 20 matches for Surrey, in light of his bowling experience.
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.
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
.
After a trial at Croydon Crown Court, on 20 May 2009 Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon were found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in the 1990s. He played in thirty two Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and fifty three ODIs for England from 1990 to 1998.
Lewis was regarded as an aggressive lower-order batsman, fine fast-medium bowler and an able all-round fielder
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
. He was regarded as a colourful player of the game, who never quite lived up to his early potential.
Life and career
His century in MadrasChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
on the occasion of his 25th birthday, on England's 1993 tour of India, gave hope for a bright international future.
Lewis was labelled “The Prat without a Hat” by The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, after he was forced off the field with sunstroke having shaved his head and not worn any protection, during the first match of England's tour of the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
in 1994.
Lewis always felt he was driven out of county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
, after alleging that three England team-mates had taken bribes to throw matches (a charge that was never substantiated). He was subsequently jeered by crowds and cold-shouldered by players, including his county teammates. It coincided with a decline in his form, and he left professional cricket, aged just 32.
In 2006, he captained Clifton Cricket Club, in the Central Lancashire Cricket League
Central Lancashire Cricket League
The Central Lancashire League is a fifteen team cricket league, traditionally based in Lancashire, England. It is now based around Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The league runs competitions at First Team, Second Team, Third Team, Under 18, Under 15, Under 13 and Under 11 levels.The...
, where he opened the batting and the bowling. In his spare time, he also coached children in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
He played four games for Stockton in the Newcastle District Cricket Association in 2007/08.
In 2008, Lewis re-signed for Twenty 20 matches for Surrey, in light of his bowling experience.
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.
Cocaine smuggling
On 8 December 2008, Lewis was arrested at Gatwick AirportLondon Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
on suspicion of smuggling 3.37 kilograms of liquid cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, with a street value of about £140,000, into the United Kingdom on a flight from Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
.
After a trial at Croydon Crown Court, on 20 May 2009 Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon were found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison.