Calls for a Chichester cricketing legend to be remembered in the park in which he used to play have been backed by his great-grandson.
James Lillywhite (1842-1929), who was born in Westhampnett, was captain of England during the team’s first Test cricket tour of Australia in 1876.
He played many a match in the city’s Priory Park, taking countless wickets for Goodwood. And he and the England team posed for photos there before embarking on their epic trip to Australia on the HMS Poonah.
Chichester District Council has included £561,000 in its Corporate Plan to revamp or rebuild the park’s White Pavilion – a decision which prompted Henry Potter (Con, Goodwood) to call for something to be incorporated into the project in memory of James.
The call was welcomed by James’s great-grandson, Jamie, who said: “I think the message I’d like to get across is that he was a great pioneer.
“Of course, any Test captain is a fine achievement but he was the first. So Priory Park really has an important place in the history of Test cricket, that will soon reach 150 years old.”
James Lillywhite played for Sussex between 1862 and 1883 and served as an umpire in six Tests between 1881 and 1899.
He played 256 First Class matches during his career, taking more than 1,200 wickets, with his best match seeing him take 10 wickets for 129 runs.
He also co-founded the Lillywhite’s sports shop, which still stands in Piccadilly.
Jamie himself played for Sussex as a lad and was a left-handed batsman, just like his great-grandfather.
He has an impressive collection of memorabilia, including a cricket bat signed by James which was found in a Dorset antiques shop by his brother-in-law. And there are pictures containing both James and the indomitable WG Grace.
Jamie said: “I’ve got a cup presented to him by WG Grace. Everyone knows WG Grace but I feel like not so many people know James Lillywhite.”
James wasn’t the first outstanding cricketer in the family. His uncle was Frederick William Lillywhite (1792-1854), who also played for Sussex and was an original member of the All England Eleven, which was established in 1846.
James died in Chichester on October 25 1929.
As for the White Pavilion, architects have been appointed to develop plans and costings for three options, including refurbishment and rebuilding.
Whichever option is chosen, construction work is expected to run from September 2026 to February 2027.
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