Lucius Gwynn

Lucius Gwynn the Cricketer
Cricket information
Batting style Right-handed batsman
Bowling style Right-arm medium
International information
National side
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 8
Runs scored 577
Batting average 44.38
100s/50s 2/3
Top score 153*
Balls bowled 1101
Wickets 18
Bowling average 22.77
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 4/81
Catches/stumpings 10/0

Lucius Henry Gwynn (County Donegal, Ireland 5 May 1873 – 23 December 1902 Davos Platz, Switzerland) was an Irish academic and sportsman who was noted for his prowess in both rugby union football and cricket.[1]

Life

Lucius Gwynn was one member of a family well known in the Dublin of his time for its academic and sporting achievements. He was the fourth son of the Very Rev John Gwynn, Regius Professor of Divinity at Dublin University, and Lucy Josephine, daughter of the Irish patriot William Smith O'Brien.[2] He and his three immediate younger brothers Arthur, Robin and Jack all in turn captained their school and university cricket teams and played the game at first class level.[1] Lucius was also a talented rugby player.

Lucius Gwynn’s academic career outshone even his sporting achievements. He entered Trinity College, Dublin as a foundation Scholar and achieved a double first in his degree finals. In 1899 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College and commenced what promised to be a distinguished academic career.

In 1901 he married Katharine Rawlinson of Bristol. He was already suffering from persistent symptoms of debility and fatigue. A few months later a Harley Street physician diagnosed tuberculosis. Lucius was admitted to a sanatorium at Davos Platz in Switzerland, but the illness had progressed too far for any treatment to succeed. He died in December 1902 aged 29. The couple’s only child, a daughter named Rhoda, was born a few months before his death.

Cricketing career

At school Lucius was mainly a bowler, his brother Arthur being the superior bat, though this inequality was ironed out at university. Lucius was captain of the Dublin University Cricket Club XI for two seasons, 1894 and 1895, then played under Arthur’s captaincy. The three brothers Lucius, Arthur and Robin Gwynn made up a formidable threesome in those years.

Primarily noted for his bowling prowess during early outings with the Dublin University XI, Gwynn took 44 wickets at an average of 8.14 in Trinity's annus mirabilis of 1893, a season which witnessed victories over Leicestershire, Oxford University, Warwickshire (dismissed for a paltry total of 15 runs) and a draw against Essex.[3]

Gwynn, a right-handed batsman, who recorded the highest first class average (56.87) amongst those batsmen who completed ten innings or more during the English season of 1895,[4] enjoyed another remarkably productive season in 1896, plundering over a thousand runs in Trinity flannels, a superlative effort complemented by a haul of 93 wickets at 9.37.[3] Gwynn's irrepressible form reputedly earned him an invitation to represent England against Australia in the second Ashes Test at Old Trafford in July 1896. However, concurrent university examinations rendered Gwynn unable to participate.[5] Instead, English cricket was introduced to the wizardry of K.S. Ranjitsinhji, who took Gwynn's place.[3]

He made his debut for Ireland against I Zingari in July 1892 and went on to play for Ireland 13 times, his last game coming in May 1902 against the MCC.[6] Two of his matches for Ireland had first-class status.[7]

He also played first-class cricket in two Gentlemen v Players matches, representing the gentlemen, and four matches for Dublin University in 1895,[7] for whom he made his top score of 153 not out[8] against Leicestershire.[9] In all, he amassed 3,195 runs and 311 wickets for Dublin University,[5] in addition to 499 runs and 14 wickets for Ireland.[6]

Rugby Union

Remarkably, Gwynn also represented Ireland seven times at rugby union, debuting against Scotland at Belfast in February 1893. He featured in all three legs of Ireland's 1894 Triple Crown-winning campaign.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cricket Archive profile
  2. ↑ Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976
  3. 1 2 3 Ireland's 100 Cricket Greats by Gerard Siggins, James Fitzgerald.
  4. ↑ First-class batting averages in England in 1895 at Cricket Archive
  5. 1 2 History of Dublin University Cricket Club
  6. 1 2 CricketEurope Stats Zone profile
  7. 1 2 First-class matches played by Lucius Gwynn at Cricket Archive
  8. ↑ First-class batting for each team by Lucius Gwynn at Cricket Archive
  9. ↑ First-class batting record against each opponent by Lucius Gwynn at Cricket Archive
  10. ↑ Rugby Union statistics from scrum.com
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