Len Hill
Encyclopedia
Lenard Winston Hill was a Welsh
sportsman, who played first-class cricket
for Glamorgan
, league football for Swansea Town
and Newport County
and was also a talented tennis
player.
and played for Lovell's Athletic before joining Newport County
in 1962. He remained with Newport until 1973, later playing briefly for Swansea City
..
in 1964, but his football career took precedence, preventing him from playing a full county cricket season until the mid 1970s. His first class debut came on July 18, 1964 against Lancashire
. He scored just one run on his debut, falling lbw
to Brian Statham
.
He later became a regular right-hand batsman in the Glamorgan first XI, and was awarded a county cap in 1974. He made 76 first-class appearances for Glamorgan and scored 2,690 runs (including 14 fifties), with a top score of 96 not out against Gloucestershire
in 1974. In the same year, he scored 90 not out against Hampshire
in one of the year's most notable Glamorgan victories. He played his last game for Glamorgan in 1976.
A brief spell as professional at Ammanford Cricket Club completed his career.
A popular player, in retirement he kept in touch with his ex-colleagues through the Glamorgan Ex-Players' Association.
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...
sportsman, who played first-class 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 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...
, league football for Swansea Town
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
and Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and was also a talented tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player.
Early sporting career
Hill was born in CaerleonCaerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
and played for Lovell's Athletic before joining Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
in 1962. He remained with Newport until 1973, later playing briefly for Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
..
Career career
Hill joined Glamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan 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...
in 1964, but his football career took precedence, preventing him from playing a full county cricket season until the mid 1970s. His first class debut came on July 18, 1964 against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. He scored just one run on his debut, falling lbw
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
to Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
.
He later became a regular right-hand batsman in the Glamorgan first XI, and was awarded a county cap in 1974. He made 76 first-class appearances for Glamorgan and scored 2,690 runs (including 14 fifties), with a top score of 96 not out against 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....
in 1974. In the same year, he scored 90 not out 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...
in one of the year's most notable Glamorgan victories. He played his last game for Glamorgan in 1976.
A brief spell as professional at Ammanford Cricket Club completed his career.
Recognition of qualities
In 1975 he was featured in an article by Basil Easterbrook entitled "The Willing Workhorses of First Class Cricket"A popular player, in retirement he kept in touch with his ex-colleagues through the Glamorgan Ex-Players' Association.