Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

Chapter Six Surrey and England, 1879-1882 Lucas had been elected to the 24-man Surrey committee on 12 February 1877, a week before his twentieth birthday – a considerable tribute to the respect in which he was held. 52 He was in his third year at Cambridge and was not able to attend a committee meeting until July. It cannot have been a very exhilarating occasion for the young man, because it was chiefly taken up with the bankruptcy of the club’s caterers and the eventual taking over of the contract by Ind Coope. Though unable to attend regularly, he was re-elected in 1879 and appointed to sub-committees that were given authority to frame new ground regulations and select ground bowlers. He was also a member of the match committee, which was made up of seven former and current Surrey amateurs. In 1879 Surrey announced that Lucas, in his first season down from Cambridge, would lead the side – at 22 one of the youngest men ever formally appointed captain of a county club. He did so in their first game, a six-wicket defeat by Middlesex, this time against Donny Walker, but then George Strachan, who had led the side for much of the 1870s, took over again, even though Lucas was in the side. Lucas was not in his best form, but few others were in a wretchedly wet summer. He was selected as usual in both Gentlemen v Players games, but did little. In the second innings of his next game, Kent were bowled out for 38 and Lucas compiled a typically sound 31 not out to give Surrey an eight-wicket win. Despite his committee responsibilities, he did not play in any of Surrey’s five Championship games in August, preferring instead to turn out for Uppingham Rovers in their tour of the midlands and north. In his five games for Surrey, Lucas scored 263 runs at an average of 29.22, and in the national averages he finished seventh with 423 runs at 24.88. He also took eight wickets at 14.62. He was first listed as a member of the Stock Exchange in 1880, and probably started his career there during the winter of 1879/80. In 1880, Lucas started with 66 for England against Richard Daft’s American XI and 34 out of 82 for Surrey against Nottinghamshire, but then had a very poor run of form with the bat. He was nevertheless selected for the Gentlemen against the Players, and had the record, remarkable for a cricketer better known for his batting than his bowling, of taking exactly as many wickets as he scored runs in both games. At The Oval he scored seven 55 52 Details of committee meetings from Surrey CCC minutes: Surrey Heritage Centre 2042/1/3 and 4.