Mervyn Hill was the eldest son of Vernon Hill and grandson of Sir Edward Stock Hill of Rookwood House, Llandaff. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, Mervyn continued the good name of the Hill family in cricketing circles by keeping wicket for Somerset and Glamorgan.
He only made three appearances for Glamorgan and his main claim to fame in the world of cricket came when he was keeping for Somerset against Surrey at Taunton during 1926 With Surrey closing in on a facile victory and Jack Hobbs three short of his record-breaking century that would take him past WG Grace’s record aggregate, Mervyn appeared to deliberately miss a stumping opportunity with Hobbs, having advanced down the wicket, well out of his crease.
If this was indeed on purpose and not by accident, it was in perfectly in keeping with Mervyn’s jovial and good-natured personality, with the Old Etonian viewing cricket as a game to be enjoyed and played with a smile. He went on several overseas tours with the MCC and one can only imagine the pranks he enjoyed on the visit to Denmark alongside two other fun-loving Glamorgan players – Johnnie Clay and Freddie Mathias. Mervyn also went on the 1926/27 MCC tour to India, Ceylon and Burma 1926, which involved a hectic sequence of matches, travel by train – often in searing heat – plus shooting and fishing parties.
His appearances for Glamorgan all came during 1923 when Jimmy Stone, the regular gloveman was injured. With Norman Riches and Tom Whittington in the veteran stage behind the stumps, the Glamorgan selectors called up the Cambridge undergraduate for the matches against Gloucestershire at the Victoria Ground in Cheltenham, with Nottinghamshire at Swansea and, against Somerset at Taunton. During the 1930s Mervyn became Land Agent for Sir John Heathcote-Amory who lived at Knightshayes Court in Tiverton, and had a short spell playing Minor County cricket for Devon.
HILL, Mervyn Llewellyn
Born – Rookwood, Cardiff, 23rd June 1902.
Died – Westminster, 27th February 1948.
Best performance for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 35 v Nottinghamshire at Swansea, 1923.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1.50 | – | – | – | – |