Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

players, some of whom had played first-class cricket for other counties, MCC or the universities. Rovers’ sides usually had a majority with first-class experience, so the cricket was generally of a high standard. The scorecard of this match, played at the Brentwood County Ground on 3 and 4 August 1877, and Bunny’s first recorded game in Essex, is set out below, although unfortunately the full bowling details have now been lost. Ten of the twenty-four players appeared in first-class cricket in their time, so like many other Rovers’ matches it was of no mean standard. Gentlemen of Essex C.H.S.Escott c and b Gibson 12 b A.P.Lucas 7 H.B.Rowan c C.C.Ridley b A.P.Lucas 21 c A.Lucas b A.P.Lucas 32 C.Sewell c Green b A.P.Lucas 5 c Shadwell b Perkins 58 W.H.Fowler c and b Gibson 14 st C.C.Ridley b Gibson 7 G.B.Meares b Gibson 0 b A.P.Lucas 4 H.Fowler c A.P.Lucas b Gibson 12 b Shadwell 55 R.Pryor c Gibson b A.P.Lucas 3 not out 41 J.Round b A.P.Lucas 2 b Shadwell 5 F.Heatley c Green b A.P.Lucas 0 b Shadwell 2 W.Pearce c Green b A.P.Lucas 6 st C.C.Ridley b A.P.Lucas 39 F.Green c and b A.P.Lucas 2 c A.P.Lucas b Shadwell 1 F.McMullen not out 5 c and b A.P.Lucas 0 Extras b 2 2 b 16, w 1 17 Totals 84 268 Uppingham Rovers A.P.Lucas c and b Escott 38 c Meares b Escott 0 C.C.Ridley c Round b Escott 0 c Sewell b Escott 4 J.Perkins c and b Meares 3 F.E.Street b W.H.Fowler 24 not out 30 C.E.Green b Meares 29 not out 24 H.Gibson c Meares b W.H.Fowler 0 T.Bell c Escott b W.H.Fowler 8 G.Borthwick c Escott b W.H.Fowler 15 F.B.Shadwell b W.H.Fowler 1 A.Lucas b Pearce 3 W.de Zoete run out 17 C.E.Ridley not out 0 [not given] 17 Extras b 8, lb 1, nb 1 10 b 1, lb 1, nb 1 3 Totals 148 (for three wickets) 78 Result: Match drawn In July 1878 illness kept Lucas out of the Cambridge University team that famously thrashed the Australians, but by 12 August at Northampton he was sufficiently recovered to ‘cart Messrs Pater & Co about in fine form’ for 119 out of 230: ‘We doubt if Lucas ever played a finer innings; it was a fitting performance to signalize [display in a striking manner] his return to the cricket-field; and did more, we are sure, to complete his recovery than another month by the sad sea waves would have done.’ 26 Uppingham Rovers, 1874-1913