Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

winter wages with the committee, which included Lucas. The game petered out as one of seven draws out of that season’s eleven games at Leyton. The dreary cricket contributed to the rapidly declining attendances and, in a discussion on the preparation of wickets there, the 1902 Wisden reported that: Both Mr C.E.Green and Mr A.P.Lucas, two of the most influential gentlemen connected with Essex cricket, made no secret of their opinion that a great mistake has been made in having the wickets prepared in the modern manner. Given their influence, it seems strange that the Leyton ground retained its reputation as a featherbed until Essex left it in 1933. In mid-July Lucas was 21st in the national averages with 499 runs at 41.58. After that his batting rather fell away but Owen suffered a recurrence of his leg strain and Lucas again took over as captain. Against Middlesex, Lucas declared as soon as Turner was out after ‘a fine display of hard hitting’ for 111, and his timing was right as Essex won by 92 runs with 20 minutes to spare. Lucas then made his first appearance at the Canterbury Festival since 1877. He hit well for 36 and added 58 in half an hour with Reeves before falling to a brilliant one-handed catch at point. He again had to decide when to declare and set a conservative 298 in three hours, but his caution was justified as Kent had no trouble in reaching 177 for three. In a match that contrasted starkly with most at Leyton that year, Lucas captained Essex to what remains their most disastrous batting performance, just as he had done with Surrey more than twenty years earlier. Against Yorkshire he won the toss and elected to bat after rain had delayed the start, but soon found himself coming to the wicket with Essex four wickets down for one run. In a situation crying out for a captain’s innings drawing on all his defensive experience, ‘Mr Lucas paid the penalty for attempting a short run at a critical stage.’ Perhaps trying to farm the strike, he was run out for three. Essex were bowled out for 30 in barely an hour but Yorkshire made only 104. It owed much to fine batting by Tom Taylor, an Uppingham man of a later generation, whose 44 was the only individual score over 12 in the match. A miserable day for Lucas was completed when his dismissal for a duck brought the first day’s play to a close with Essex on 15 for six. Next day, Essex were soon all out for 41 to give Yorkshire a remarkable win by an innings and 33 runs, Hirst taking 12 for 29 and Rhodes six for 37. Essex had a debutant who was twice bowled by Hirst for ducks and did not bowl, but Johnny Douglas did go on to enjoy better days. With only four wins in 21 completed matches, Essex again finished tenth. Lucas was able to play in 15 of them and scored 742 runs at 37.10. He made six fifties and held eleven catches, both his best in first-class cricket since 1883. By contrast with Owen, newspapers have only one mention of an injury to Lucas, and even then he played in the next match. It seems Essex cricketer, 1895-1907 107