Geoff Ellis was one of the leading schoolboy cricketers in North Wales during the late 1960`s with the Llandudno-born batsman and seam bowler playing for Glamorgan from 1970 until 1976.
Having first played for the county’s 2nd XI in 1968, Geoff made his debut for the 1st XI in 1970 and marked both his first-class and Championship debuts by posting assertive half-centuries opening the batting against Oxford University and Gloucestershire. The signing of Roy Fredericks, the West Indian opener as the Club’s overseas player between 1971 and 1973 limited Geoff’s further opportunities, but at the time he was training to be a teacher at Cardiff College of Education and was only available during the second half of the summer.
1974 saw Geoff score his one and only Championship hundred against a high-quality Middlesex attack at Sophia Gardens, and for the next two summer he was Alan Jones’ regular opening partner in Championship cricket, besides being a member of the one-day team. His medium-pace bowler proved a useful asset in the limited-overs games with his best performance with the ball coming at Hove in the 1975 Sunday League match against Sussex, with Geoff returning figures of 8-1-16-3 and removing the home captain Tony Grieg for nought.
August 1976 saw Geoff register his highest score in List A cricket with the opener making an unbeaten 97 against Yorkshire at Headingley. At the time it was the Club’s highest-ever score in the 40-overs competition, but with the emergence of John Hopkins and Alan Lewis Jones as capable top-order batsmen, Geoff left the county game at the end of the season. He continued to be a leading all-rounder in club cricket and played until 1988 for Wales, including appearing in the ICC Trophy during 1979. In 1983 Geoff also captained the Glamorgan 2nd XI, whilst between 2010 and 2015 he also featured in the Wales Over 60s team.
ELLIS, Geoffrey Philip
Born – Llandudno, 24th May 1950.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 116 v Middlesex at Sophia Gardens, 1974; 2/20 v Lancashire at Swansea, 1975.
In List A cricket – 97* v Yorkshire at Headingley, 1976; 3/16 v Sussex at Hove, 1975.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 75 | 139 | 10 | 2673 | 20.72 | 1 | 10 | 24 | – |
| List A | 62 | 55 | 8 | 1086 | 23.10 | – | 7 | 15 | – |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| First-class | 2824 | 105 | 1418 | 24 | 59.08 | – | – |
| List A | 1707 | 28 | 1214 | 40 | 30.55 | – | – |