Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

Under Owen’s leadership, Essex recovered from the disappointments of 1894, finishing eighth in the Championship in 1895 and fifth in 1896. Though Lucas appeared little in those years, his contribution was appreciated. Wisden stated that ‘Lucas did quite sufficient to prove the loss of his side sustained in being unable to command his services more often.’ Interviewed for Chats on the Cricket Field , Pickett declared that Essex’s success owed much to the generosity of Green and the treasurer, C.M.Tebbut, and to the play of Lucas and Owen. Green, at a fund-raising dinner in his honour in December 1896, described Lucas as ‘one of the most brilliant and scientific cricketers ever produced by England’. 1897 In 1897 Lucas was forty years old and had managed only thirteen first-class games in three years. On his first appearance of the season The Times commented, ‘it is a pity he should be so little seen now in first-class matches,’ 86 but they had their wish and he played no fewer than ten games. Though not formally listed on the Stock Exchange as a partner in Booth Bros until 1898, he was probably working with them a year earlier and thus able to get away more often. Lucas made a sparkling start to the season with two not outs against Surrey; an ‘exceptionally pretty innings’ of 59 with a five and nine fours was followed by a rapid 57 but Essex could not quite force the win. He did little in the next three games but was back to his best against Hampshire when he scored 70 ‘in his own inimitable style’ and Essex won by an innings. Against Derbyshire he came in with Essex on 29 for four and made 89, putting on a match-winning partnership of 123 with A.J.Turner, a brilliant young recruit for Essex who was born when Lucas was still up at Cambridge. Home Gordon 87 tells a rather moving tale about this partnership: ‘The beautiful form of the veteran was matched by an almost marvellously close reproduction of his methods by the young Woolwich cadet. The latter was the recipient of congratulations, but on inquiry confessed that he had never, until that very day, seen Mr A.P.Lucas bat. The similarity therefore became phenomenal, but an explanation was soon found. Major Turner had been coached by his father, who was one of the ill-fated cricket team under Major Dunn, lost when the Bokhara went down. The parent had been an ardent admirer of the methods of Mr A.P.Lucas, and set them up as the desirable standard when teaching his son.’ In five completed innings in July Lucas scored only 68 runs, but played a useful role for the side in three games by taking over as wicket-keeper from the injured Tom Russell. In the first of the six innings he conceded 20 byes and, in the remaining five, let through 30, certainly more than Russell Essex cricketer, 1895-1907 101 86 Most match quotes in this chapter taken from The Times. 87 Gordon, op cit. , p 455.