Tony Lewis facts for kids

Anthony Robert Lewis, born on July 6, 1938, is a famous Welsh former cricketer. He was a captain for the England team. Later, he became a well-known journalist and TV presenter for BBC cricket. He also served as the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

Growing Up in Wales

Tony Lewis was born in Swansea, Wales. He was the first of two children. His family moved to Neath after the Second World War. His father worked in insurance and later for the government.

Tony went to schools in Neath. He was very talented in music and sports. He played first violin for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. He also played cricket and rugby for his school. He played cricket for Welsh schools against England for five years, even captaining for three of those years. In rugby, he played for Neath, Gloucester, the Royal Air Force, and Cambridge University.

University Life and Sports

Tony studied History at Christ's College, Cambridge. He was excellent at both rugby and cricket there. In his first year, he earned a "double blue" for playing both sports at a high level for the university. He was also chosen to lead important sports clubs at Cambridge.

Cricket Star Tony Lewis

Tony Lewis started his first-class cricket career in 1955 when he was just 17. He played for Glamorgan while still in school. At first, he was an amateur player. This changed in 1963 when all first-class cricketers became professionals.

Rising Through the Ranks

After serving in the RAF, Tony became a strong player in 1960. He scored many runs for Cambridge University. He captained Cambridge in 1962, scoring over 2000 runs that year. In 1966, he again scored over 2000 runs, including his highest score of 223.

He became captain of Glamorgan from 1967 to 1972. Under his leadership, Glamorgan won its second championship in 1969. They went through the whole season without losing a single match!

Captain of England

Tony Lewis is the last player to become England captain in his very first Test match. He led England on a long tour to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in 1972-73.

In his first Test match in Delhi, he scored 70 runs and helped England win. This was England's first Test victory in India since 1951. He later scored his first Test century (125 runs) in the Fourth Test in Kanpur. He was named "Man of the Match" in both games.

Tony captained England eight times. He won once, lost twice, and drew five times. He played a total of nine Test matches for England. He was even chosen as vice-captain later, but an injury meant he played only one more Test. He decided to focus on writing and broadcasting instead of another tour.

Tony Lewis is one of only two England cricket captains from Neath Grammar School. He is also the only Glamorgan player to captain England and lead a major Test tour abroad.

Life After Playing Cricket

After retiring from playing cricket at age 34 due to knee problems, Tony Lewis focused on his other talents. He had already started writing rugby reports for The Daily Telegraph in 1965.

Journalism and Broadcasting

In 1975, he became the cricket and rugby writer for The Sunday Telegraph. He also became a well-known voice on BBC Radio's Test Match Special. From 1975 to 1999, he was the main presenter for BBC television's cricket coverage. He also hosted the popular Radio 4 show Sport on Four for ten years.

Leadership in Cricket

Tony Lewis was a very important person at Lord's, the home of cricket. He served on many committees for the MCC from 1967 to 2011. He even created and led the MCC's World Cricket Committee. This committee worked to make sure cricket decisions were fair and not based on money or other unfair reasons.

He was the MCC's President for two years (1998-2000). During his time, he helped make a big change: allowing women to become full members of the MCC. This happened ten years before the Equality Act 2010 became law. He also helped research and develop the use of the pink cricket ball for day-night Test matches. This was done to encourage more people to watch games.

In 2011, the MCC gave him their highest honor, making him an Honorary Life Vice-President.

Helping Wales Thrive

Tony also used his fame to help his home country, Wales. He was the chairman of the Wales Tourist Board for many years. He worked to bring more tourists to Wales by suggesting "event-led tourism." This led to Wales hosting the Rugby World Cup in 1999. He also led the successful bid for Wales to host the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament for the first time in 2010.

He also served as chairman of the Welsh National Opera Company and was a founding trustee of the Wales Millennium Centre.

Awards and Family

In 1998, Tony Lewis served as the High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan. He was awarded the CBE in 2004 for his contributions to cricket, broadcasting, and Wales. He has also received honorary degrees from several Welsh universities.

Tony married Joan Pritchard in 1962. They have two daughters, Joanna and Anabel. Both of his daughters are also members of the MCC.