Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

In Owen’s absence, Lucas captained the side for the first time since 1894, against Surrey. In the second innings he put on 103 in 130 minutes with Perrin, but then had little support and was last out after ‘a grand innings’ of 89 with nine fours. Although Surrey also collapsed, Lucas had too few runs to play with and his side lost by five wickets. The Times considered that ‘Essex were at a great disadvantage’ when he and Tom Russell were so affected by the ‘great heat’ that they could not take part in the match against Gloucestershire. Essex would have missed Lucas not only for his batting but also as reserve wicket-keeper, and they lost by an innings. Perhaps because of his indisposition, Lucas also missed the last two games of the season. Essex dropped from third to fifth place, which Wisden described as ‘not as good as they had hoped’ and ‘not quite commensurate with the merits of the eleven.’ They lost four more games than in 1897, but won three more and their cricket was always entertaining, so crowds were good. Lucas with 472 runs at 29.50 was third in the Essex averages behind the ‘Essex Twins’, Turner having suffered a touch of ‘second-season syndrome.’ 1899 Essex’s first game was against the Australians. Essex won the toss and batted but the wicket was difficult and Lucas came in just before lunch with the score on 84 for five. Among the Australians was all-rounder Charlie McLeod, who was deaf in one ear. Though only in early middle age, Lucas also was going deaf. There followed an amusing misunderstanding that was recalled by two of the Australians, Clem Hill and Hugh Trumble. 88 McLeod was fielding at mid-on and therefore close enough to Lucas when he was not facing the bowling to talk to him. McLeod asked Trumble: ‘This chap Lucas is a funny old stick. I speak to him but he won’t answer.’ Trumble, with his quick wit, at once saw the humour of the situation and replied, ‘Oh, he’s one of those stuck-up fellows who thinks no end of himself.’ Later in the day, Lucas spoke to McLeod, but this time it was McLeod who did not answer. The Australians had a good laugh in the dressing-room that evening. Lucas and McLeod were brought together, explanations followed, and they became great pals. Lucas put on 31 with his old ally Tom Russell but soon Essex were 144 for nine. He was joined by Harding Isaac Young, a gangling left-arm seamer who had been ‘bought out’ of the Navy by C.E.Green and was nicknamed ‘Sailor’. Young had no pretensions as a batsman but made 33 in as many minutes with lusty leg-side hitting, and they added 55 for the last wicket. The Times commented that Lucas’s 46 not out was ‘the great batting of the day. … It took a long time to get; but some of his drives along the ground Essex cricketer, 1895-1907 103 88 Bernard Whimpress (ed), Clem Hill’s Reminiscences , ACS Publications, 2007. Trumble’s account described in Reese, Daniel, Was it All Cricket? , Allen and Unwin, 1948. The two versions differ slightly but are essentially the same and I have conflated them.