Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

Chapter Thirteen Bunny, Korty and Fryerning, 1885-1923 For twenty years Lucas was a churchwarden at St. Mary’s church in the pleasant village of Fryerning, south-west of Chelmsford, and when he died he was buried in the churchyard there. A cricket-pitch’s length away lies another great Essex amateur, Charles Jesse Kortright (1871-1952), known as Korty. Born into the leading family of Fryerning, which owned most of the village, he became the fastest bowler of his generation, and perhaps of all time. Kortright was already a keen cricketer when in 1885, after an outbreak of diphtheria at Brentwood School, he moved to Tonbridge. There his housemaster was Rev Arthur Lucas, who in the same year helped officiate at Bunny’s wedding. Arthur soon introduced him to his famous cousin, who thrilled the young man with tales of his Australian tour in 1878/79. 101 Lucas was at first Korty’s hero and later his captain, team-mate, friend and neighbour. When he was aged only seventeen, Essex invited Korty to appear at Leyton for Eleven of Public Schools v Parsees. Over the next three years he played the occasional game for Essex but it was only in 1892 that he first came into his own, possibly encouraged by Lucas when he resumed the captaincy. Kortright played ten games and headed the Essex bowling averages with 53 wickets at below 13, including three eight-wicket hauls. Korty’s father had arranged for him to work at the Mackeson family brewery in Hythe, so his name was therefore linked with Kent, a first-class county. The Leytonstone Express and Independent reported that ‘ … poor old Essex is to lose the trundling services of Kortright who, it is rumoured, is qualifying for the Hop County the next season.’ Perhaps dissuaded by his hero and friend Lucas, he stayed with the county of his birth and the hot summer of 1893 provided ideal conditions for him. Lillywhite commented on ‘the marked advance of Mr C.J.Kortright, who judging by his success in the most important matches was not far removed from the best bowler in the year.’ For Essex he took 61 wickets at 15.55 and, along with Lucas and Walter Mead, played a vital role in the club’s achievement of first-class status and subsequent success. In July 1898 Kortright was involved with W.G.Grace in two magnificent – though controversial – matches, in which Lucas also had a part to play. In the first match Kortright and Grace were opponents for Essex and Gloucestershire, and in the second team-mates for the Gentlemen. Gloucestershire were one of the original nine counties and had not deigned 120 101 Meredith, op cit. , p 16.