Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

were perfect, and now and again he came out perfectly on the leg side.’ He scored two 4s and no fewer than six 3s, a tribute to the fitness of the 42-year-old and to the skilful placing of his strokes. Trumble bowled superbly and took eight for 79 in the first innings but later complained: ‘Confound old Lucas, I can’t get him out. The old beggar must be ninety, but I’m hanged if he doesn’t keep improving.’ 89 Mead and Young bowled equally well to dismiss the Australians for 144, which was Essex’s score when their ninth wicket went down and thus emphasised the importance of the last-wicket partnership. Essex then made exactly 144 themselves, their only significant partnership one of 93 in 110 minutes between McGahey and Turner, who were greatly assisted by uncharacteristically slovenly Australian catching. Lucas again batted at No.7 and was not out, but made only eight before running out of partners. The Australians had all day to make 200 but were dismissed in 39.4 five-ball overs for 73. Young, with seven for 32, was unplayable, and well supported by Mead with three for 32. Hill ‘fell to a magnificent catch by Lucas in the slips, the old Cantab taking the ball high above his head when running back, and falling backwards with the ball in his hand’. A crowd of thousands swarmed round the pavilion, as was usual at Leyton on such occasions, and Green gave a passionate speech from the balcony. He dragged the captain to the front but ‘Mr Owen bowed, blushed and then, breaking away, dived through a doorway behind him like a rabbit into a hole’. 90 Lucas was even more averse to any fuss and was the only player not even enticed on to the balcony, preferring to slip away by the back door. Lucas then missed six consecutive county games, presumably for business reasons. He reappeared against Warwickshire, who on a damp pitch set Essex a tantalising target of 129 in about two hours. Essex made a positive start but slipped from 52 for one to 54 for five, and Lucas batted out time for a draw. Essex won four county games before Lucas returned but, after a heavy and unexpected defeat by Derbyshire, the committee complained because the pitch had been under-prepared. Head groundsman Ted Freeman consulted Sam Apted, the groundsman at The Oval where the pitches were excellent, but Apted’s advice led to a famous misunderstanding. He told Freeman to apply a liquid mixture ‘three days before the match’ but the Essex man applied the mixture on each of the three days rather than just on the third day before. The pitch was ruined and even Lucas was unable to cope with it. Ironically, the visitors were Surrey who bowled Essex out for 37 in 75 minutes and won by nine wickets in two days, so the committee were even more dissatisfied. 104 Essex cricketer, 1895-1907 89 Quoted, Sale, op cit. , p 2. This is only error I have found in Sale’s excellent book. He suggests that Lucas frustrated Trumble in Test matches, but Trumble’s Test debut came six years after Lucas’s last Test, so Trumble was presumably referring to an Essex game, and this is the most likely candidate. 90 Meredith, op cit. , p 89.