LEWIS Barker, one of York Cricket Club's finest batsmen from the 1950s to the 1980s and well-known throughout Yorkshire, has died in St Leonard's Hospice, York after a long battle against cancer. He was 78.
Mr Barker, who was educated at Archbishop Holgate's Grammar School, where he was introduced to cricket, played for New Earswick for several years before joining York CC in 1956 when the club's headquarters were at Wigginton Road.
He quickly made h
is mark as an attractive attacking batsman in the Yorkshire League and often took the opposition bowling apart.
Mr Barker, who was a useful winger or centre forward for New Earswick football club in his youth, was a founder member of the Clifton Park sports complex when York CC moved there in 1966 and two years later played two memorable unbeaten innings (162 and 86) against Doncaster in the Yorkshire League.
Mr Barker captained the first team for several years, leading them to the league title in 1970, when they were unbeaten for the whole season. He later hit a run-a-ball not out century against Hull.
York supporters also recall with delight the time he hit Arthur "Rocker" Robinson, the left arm Yorkshire fast bowler, for 24 runs in one over and also when he despatched Yorkshire slow bowler Mike Bore to every part of Hull's vast circle.
And yet when you saw Lewis Barker open an innings there was no hint of any fireworks to come as he adjusted to the pace of the bowling and pitch.
After a while he would signal for a change of bat, always the sign of an imminent explosion. Then the onslaught would be unleased and the bowler's apparently perfect deliveries despatched into oblivion.
Wally Baynes, a stalwart for Huntington CC for many years, recalls batting against a silver haired Mr Barker who was at backward point: "I said are you still playing Lew?"
"A few balls later I cut one hard and wide of gully. Lewis took off like an autumn swallow and a voice was heard as he clutched the ball in his outstretched hands "I'm still playing Wally."
And he continued to do so until in his 60s.
York CC president John Leaf, who saw him bat on scores of occasions, said: "His death is a major loss to local cricket."
Mr Barker was an architect all his working life, the majority of it at the City of York Council followed by being Liaison Architect for North Yorkshire County Council at Northallerton.
He was multi-talented, being an expert artist and also a gifted pianist. He ran Harlequin, a local charity music group in York.
Mr Barker, a widower, leaves four children, Elizabeth, David, Lesley and Richard and 12 grandchildren.
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