Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

his old games again … being ultimately secured in his anxiety to give them the long handle, [he was out for 102] having played perfect cricket for his century.’ Against Derbyshire Lucas ‘played a steady game with 17 singles in 23, a striking – that is not the word – contrast with his captain.’ Green made 65 and, during the lunch interval, demonstrated that he could have qualified as a member of the Drones Club by making an assegai out of a three-foot bread roll, a fork, a napkin and some chutney. He then threw it at Lucas who ‘did not seem to relish the experience.’ Bad luck with weather and injuries led to a disappointing 1883 season in which the Rovers had only one win, one defeat and no fewer than seven draws. At Huddersfield, Lucas made 78 and at Bradford he ‘batted as perfectly as ever, securing another century. He finished with a fine square leg hit for six out of the ground.’ Against the Gentlemen of Yorkshire, he made 120 and did the hat-trick. At Portsmouth, ‘the Hampshire umpire had no doubt been reading about his centuries in the paper and gave him out lbw almost before he was appealed to.’ Stephenson, who toured with the Rovers as their umpire, by contrast refused to give a catch at the wicket claimed by the Rovers and ‘made himself awfully disliked.’ They blamed that decision, and the absence of Schultz because of his business partner’s illness, for their first defeat since 1878. They had been so successful in the previous few years that they perhaps rather lost sight of their cheerful chivalry, and the chronicler was slightly tetchy about their reverses. Lucas nevertheless scored 625 runs at 48.07 and took 32 wickets at 12.59. In 1884 the Rovers as usual began their northern tour at Northampton, but it cannot have been their favourite venue, even though they won by an innings. They were again barracked by partial spectators, one of whom ‘tried to lift their purses’. Lucas made only 28 and 10 but took seven wickets and as they left, ‘the small fry crowded round the drag to see “Leeucas” smile.’ As a regular for England and the Gentlemen, he was the best-known of the Rovers and a considerable draw for the general public. The game at Leicester was ‘a red-letter day’ for the Rovers. Despite 15 and 34 from Lucas, the home side had the best of things and were set only 53 to win. Lucas and Rotherham reduced them to 13 for seven, but Leicestershire gradually crept towards the target until they needed two to win with the last pair together. ‘Then amid the wildest excitement Lucas clean bowled Coleman and left us the match by one run.’ Lucas had bowled unchanged with Rotherham and finished with five for 26. Lucas’s father died a few days after this game so he was able to play in only two more Rovers matches. Unusually, he had a poor time with the bat – only 100 runs in seven innings – but took 28 wickets at 9.21. The Rovers returned to their best form with seven wins and only one draw and one defeat. At the end of the season, there was a summary of the Rovers’ doings over the previous 21 years. They had won 87 games, drawn 59 and lost 32. They suffered no defeat from 1879 to 1882, and only one in 1883 and one in Uppingham Rovers, 1874-1913 31