Evelyn Hill
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Vernon Llewellyn Hill (18 April 1907 – 25 October 1953) played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
from 1926 to 1929. He was born at Cyntwell, Cardiff
, Wales
and died at Weston-super-Mare
, Somerset
.
cricketer Vernon Hill
, who had moved back to south Wales to practise as a lawyer in the late 1890s. Vernon Hill's own father, Sir Edward Stock Hill
, had a career that similarly straddled the Severn Estuary
, with business interests and his home in Cardiff, but acting as Member of Parliament
for Bristol South from 1886 to 1900. Evelyn's older brother, Mervyn Hill
, played cricket for Somerset, Glamorgan
and Cambridge University
between 1921 and 1932.
where in 1925 he took seven Winchester College
first-innings wickets for 53 runs and was, according to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
, the team's "greatest potential match-winner", though he was rated as inconsistent: "He does bowl fast and he does make the ball bounce, though as yet he lacks strength and stamina," it wrote, recommending that Oxford University
take an interest in him when he went there after his school career was over. It is not clear whether Hill ever did go to Oxford: at the start of the 1926 cricket season, he was in the Somerset side for two matches, with a third in mid-June. In these matches he was more successful as a batsman than as a bowler. Against Middlesex
at Lord's he made 32 of a last-wicket partnership of 59 with George Hunt
and this was to be his highest first-class score. And in the June game he almost matched this by hitting an unbeaten 30 against Hampshire
.
Early in 1927, Hill joined the Territorial Army, where his induction record as a second lieutenant mentions his previous service only in terms of his membership of the officer training corps at Eton, suggesting he had not gone to Oxford University. In the 1927 cricket season, Hill played three further matches for Somerset and in the second of these, against Derbyshire
at Taunton he finally made an impression as a bowler, taking four wickets for 98 runs in Derbyshire's first innings. He then improved on this in 1928, his best season, by taking five Worcestershire
wickets for 36 in the match at Stourbridge, the best return of his career. In his next Somerset match, against Surrey
at Taunton, Hill took five for 85 in Surrey's first innings. But just a week later he broke down in the match against Sussex
at Hove. He returned for one final first-class match in 1929 but was not successful.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
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...
for 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...
from 1926 to 1929. He was born at Cyntwell, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and died at Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
Family and background
Evelyn Hill's father was the Somerset and Oxford UniversityOxford 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...
cricketer Vernon Hill
Vernon Hill (cricketer)
Vernon Tickell Hill was a cricketer who made 140 first-class appearances for Somerset and Oxford University between 1891 and 1912. He first played for Somerset during their successful 1890 season. He made his top-score of 116 against Kent in 1898, sharing a seventh wicket partnership of 240 with...
, who had moved back to south Wales to practise as a lawyer in the late 1890s. Vernon Hill's own father, Sir Edward Stock Hill
Edward Stock Hill
Sir Edward Stock Hill, KCB, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Member of Parliament for Bristol South from 1886 to 1900....
, had a career that similarly straddled the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
, with business interests and his home in Cardiff, but acting as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bristol South from 1886 to 1900. Evelyn's older brother, Mervyn Hill
Mervyn Hill
Mervyn Llewellyn Hill played first-class cricket as a wicketkeeper and batsman for Somerset between 1921 and 1932, and also appeared in matches for Glamorgan and Cambridge University...
, played cricket for Somerset, Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
and 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...
between 1921 and 1932.
Cricket career
Hill was a lower-order right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
where in 1925 he took seven Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
first-innings wickets for 53 runs and was, according to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
, the team's "greatest potential match-winner", though he was rated as inconsistent: "He does bowl fast and he does make the ball bounce, though as yet he lacks strength and stamina," it wrote, recommending that 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...
take an interest in him when he went there after his school career was over. It is not clear whether Hill ever did go to Oxford: at the start of the 1926 cricket season, he was in the Somerset side for two matches, with a third in mid-June. In these matches he was more successful as a batsman than as a bowler. Against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
at Lord's he made 32 of a last-wicket partnership of 59 with George Hunt
George E Hunt
George Edward Hunt was an English cricketer who played over 200 matches for Somerset County Cricket Club as a bowling all-rounder...
and this was to be his highest first-class score. And in the June game he almost matched this by hitting an unbeaten 30 against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
.
Early in 1927, Hill joined the Territorial Army, where his induction record as a second lieutenant mentions his previous service only in terms of his membership of the officer training corps at Eton, suggesting he had not gone to Oxford University. In the 1927 cricket season, Hill played three further matches for Somerset and in the second of these, against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
at Taunton he finally made an impression as a bowler, taking four wickets for 98 runs in Derbyshire's first innings. He then improved on this in 1928, his best season, by taking five Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
wickets for 36 in the match at Stourbridge, the best return of his career. In his next Somerset match, against 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...
at Taunton, Hill took five for 85 in Surrey's first innings. But just a week later he broke down in the match against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
at Hove. He returned for one final first-class match in 1929 but was not successful.