Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

The whole party then set off to stay with the Robertson family at their splendid stone mansion, The Hill. 44 The family bred horses and cattle and were described as ‘not necessarily great breeders but great organizers and born salesmen.’ William Robertson rowed in the Oxford crew that won the 1861 boat race, so would doubtless have had strong social links with some of the tourists. Royle’s diary entry for 30 December is typical of many, if slightly more bloodthirsty: Got up at 6.30 and drove with Fanning, Lucas and Schultz to shoot at Mr Murray’s place, four miles from Robertson’s. Had plenty of walking over rocks etc but could not get near the wild fowl. Saw plenty of wild geese, ducks, etc , etc . Returned to Robertson’s for lunch. He had got down about 300 pigeons for our benefit, but after a short time, Lucas and I went ferreting rabbits and got about 30 in a very short time. Went to bed very early. The tourists got up at 3.30am to catch an early train at Colac, and arrived at Melbourne at about 10.30am on 31 December. The biggest match of the tour was due to begin two days later and, contrary to what might be expected from Flanders and Swann’s wonderful Song of Patriotic Prejudice , 45 they practised in the afternoon. They did not, however, overdo it: they spent the evening at an Oxford University dinner and the whole of the next day at the races, although to be fair it was very hot. The match was billed as Lord Harris’s XI v Australia, but has since been recognized as the third Test match ever. Harris won the toss and, after careful consideration, made the wrong decision: he chose to bat but feared rain and, before play could start, there was a heavy shower. Soon his team were 26 for seven and Lucas, with six, was at that point the highest scorer. Harris and Charles Absolom put on 63 for the eighth wicket but England were all out for 113. Harris’s XI reduced Australia to 37 for three, but missed several chances and eventually the score reached 256. Emmett took seven for 68 but had little support from the other bowlers; Lucas was first change but took none for 31 in 18 overs. After a steady start in the tourists’ second innings, Lucas was brilliantly caught by Harry Boyle for 13. Only a last-wicket stand by Emmett and Schultz averted the innings defeat, and Charles Bannerman and Billy Murdoch knocked off the 19 runs needed in 11 balls. Fred Spofforth had match figures of 13 for 110 which included the first Test hat-trick, but Lucas was twice dismissed by Frank Allan’s left-arm fast-medium. The match was scheduled as timeless but ended early on the third morning, so in the afternoon Lucas and Royle went over to the Moores to play tennis. Two days later they were invited to a picnic at Fern Tree Gully, later of rather greater cricketing significance as the birthplace of Shane 48 The Australian tour, 1878/79 44 Australian Dictionary of Biography, online version, sourced April 2009. 45 And all the world over, each nation’s the same / They’ve simply no notion of playing the game / They argue with umpires, they cheer when they’ve won / And they practise beforehand which ruins the fun!