Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

his quarters, and is teaching the boys some of that straight play for which he is famous.’ Lucas’s cricket continued to improve during 1873, with several fifties and 89 of an opening partnership of 161 against Repton. MCC recognised Uppingham’s improvement by sending a team to the school for the first time, and Lucas made 42 and 17 not out in Uppingham’s nine-wicket win. Most unusually, a return was arranged, at The Oval, but this time the school lost by nine wickets and only Lucas, who ‘carried his bat for about 20’ in the first innings and added another 20 in the second, sustained his reputation. He ended the season with 483 runs at 43.91. In 1874 Patterson and others moved on to university but ‘Lucas remained, and was a tower of strength throughout the season’. Now 17, Lucas scored his first century, against Stamford School, and an 81 against G.H.Longman’s XI, a strong side brought down by the Cambridge captain which included several Blues. He then played against an MCC team led by C.E.Green, who recalled: ‘I chose the team myself and, as I did not want to beat the boys very badly indeed, I took care not to make it too strong. When we had succeeded in getting one wicket down for about 200 … we thought we had got over our difficulties.’ 22 Lucas made 136 in an opening partnership of 271 with T.R.Fleming. In a very disappointing performance against the Old Boys, the school was twice bowled out for 77, but Lucas made 22 which ‘showed brilliant cricket until he was run out attempting a third run’, and 28. He also took three wickets, including his cousin Arthur for a duck. Lillywhite summarised his last season at Uppingham: ‘A thorough cricketer all-round, having strong defence and can hit well to any part of the field; a fair wicket-keeper and good change bowler, being slow with a high delivery; a splendid field anywhere.’ His season’s batting average of 50.33 in twelve completed innings was not surpassed until 1893. Uppingham School, 1870-1874 19 Lucas (left) with W.S.Patterson, author of ‘Sixty Years of Uppingham Cricket’. 22 Chats on the Cricket Field , in The Cricket Field magazine, 14 October 1893.