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Green & Gold Living Legend #7 - Robert Llewellyn (January 20, 2010)

Bob Ropes Caption Competition

He's big, he's bad and he's Welsh. Rob/Bob Llewellyn was easily the first chap to pass 10,000 runs for the merged club when he made 134* for the 2nds against Barns Green 2nds in May. He must have nearly double that as he's played at the Rec. for many years before that for West Chiltington. A competitive cricketer who learned his familiar strut by watching others and learning the game, Rob would admit he's never been a natural; however his muscular approach and keen eye has seen him average more than 50 regularly every season (except 2002 when he "only" managed 39) playing Saturdays and Sundays.

Bobby is also a good footballer and golfer (or so he tells us after a game when he's once again trounced the opposition) but it's cricket we want to concentrate on. Some of the Legends we’ve featured or will feature over the close season are open to debate as we fill this site with nonsense over the winter months. Yet Rob’s stats and worth to the Club over many years - like Peter Jones who we featured last week - are incontestable. 271 games for the Green & Gold with more than 11,000 runs at an average of 56.85. He's only failed to get tons in 2002 and 2008 when his top scores were “only” 97 and 98 respectively! He's made 14 tons for the Club including two 150's against Salfords & Tillington and an amazing 83 fifties. His bowling isn't too shabby either… 235 wickets at an average of 20.15 with a best of 7-30 against (Upper) Beeding & Bramber in 2002.

Rob has scored more than 24% of the teams' runs and has 16.5% of the team's wickets every time he plays - remember that's 271 games... The Sunday side was kept going until very recently by his belligerent hitting; at the end of 2009, more than 30% of the Sunday side's runs were Rob’s at an average of over 68 and he has nearly 20% of the team's wickets.

Some 1st XI players may say he's augmented his runs by playing those Sunday games against weaker attacks but some of the Sunday sides we play have had bowlers of better quality than the chaps you see in the League! e.g. The Fleet Street Strollers, Midhurst, Cuckfield and now the Storrington cup fixture which has taken on a real edge. Certainly without him, we would not have the Sunday fixture list we have today.

Bob is a private man so we don't know much about his life outside cricket. Also is he Bob or Rob? We do know he supports Liverpool (who recently lost to the mighty Reading in the FA Cup) and is very good at bringing through the colts when playing with them (if you understand what I'm saying). Callum Wyatt will testify to this when Bob helped him to a career best 64 in a 2^nd XI game against Barns Green at the Rec last year.

Rob was the first ever Secretary of the merged club and has done as much as any committee member past or present to ensure that WC&T has the strong base we have in Sussex cricket today. Long may the runs continue to flow (and opposition wickets continue to fall) for big bad Bob and the Club.

Awarded legend status due to his phenomenal contribution on the pitches of Sussex for this Club.

Rob Llewellyn – Green & Gold Statistics

Seasons at West Chilt & Thakeham: Nine so far (2001 - ); 271 games

Batting – 267 innings, 11,143 runs @ 56.85; 24.08% of the team’s runs.

High Score: 153 for the Sunday side at Tillington in September 2007

Bowling – 1294. 2 overs, 179 maidens 235 wickets @ 20.15. 16.48% of team’s wickets. Best: 7-30 against Beeding & Bramber at the Rec. in September 2002

Game results: He’s won 41% of games he played in