Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

1884. The 1875 partnership between Lucas and Patterson remained their most remarkable batting achievement. Green, with 4,391 runs, was the leading run scorer but Lucas, with 4,062, was rapidly catching him up, and his twelve centuries were as many as all the others put together. More surprisingly, his 292 wickets placed him second on the bowling list behind Rotherham with 408. The conclusion was unarguable: ‘The Rovers’ Club fairly deserves the reputation which it now enjoys of being the strongest wandering club in the kingdom.’ Lucas missed the 1885 season through illness and he came back to cricket on 30 June 1886, playing against the school for an Old Boys’ team consisting entirely of Rovers. The chronicler described his return at some length: Lucas, who evidently has not forgotten how to play cricket during his illness, showed us some fine cricket in something of his old style. He rather alarmed the Ladies in the pavilion by sending a fine hit into their midst. His innings of 53 contained three fours and seven threes, and throughout he showed good form and hard hitting though, we believe, this is the first time he has played for two seasons. As with his briefer absence in 1878, he eased himself back into the game with the slightly less demanding cricket of the Rovers. Essex County Cricket Club was now in its first full season at Leyton and Green, as chairman and captain, committed himself fully to its development. He therefore stood down as captain and secretary of the Rovers in favour of his friend Lucas. The Doings record: A most successful tour was accomplished under the able generalship of A.P.Lucas. On him fall the honours of the tour. We would congratulate him on his reappearance in the cricket field and hope to see him in his old form with the willow next year. Against Eastbourne he scored 80 and took six wickets in a ten-wicket win, but he was not quite back at his best with the bat, scoring 230 runs in nine innings, although he did head the bowling with 21 wickets at 15.50. In the 1887 season, Lucas duly recovered his old form and his place at the top of the batting averages with 389 runs at 43.22, and he also took 12 wickets. Playing against the Manchester club, in effect the Lancashire Second XI, the Rovers came up against Arthur Mold, who fourteen years later was no-balled for throwing and left the game. Some commentators claimed that Mold was ill-used, but Sydney Pardon in Wisden argued that he was lucky to get away with it for as long as he did, and the Rovers would certainly have endorsed that view: ‘We had never known anyone throw so fast and so straight; in fact, it was suggested that Lucas should give his nickname up, and that he should be nicknamed Bungo.’ Lucas was untroubled by Mold and ‘played grandly for his 84’, but Manchester won by eight wickets. Uppingham Rovers, 1874-1913 32