Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

Chapter Seven Middlesex and a serious illness, 1883-1888 In an era when the privacy of sportsmen and others was respected, the press did not go into the details of Lucas’s move from the county of his residence to the county of his birth, although Cricket did report that ‘The Surrey authorities having refrained from asking Mr Lucas to help the county during the season, he determined to throw in his lot with Middlesex.’ The only indication that it may have been rather controversial comes from the Uppingham Rovers rhymester: … There’s Lucas A.P., a famed cricketer he! Once the pride and glory of Surrey It matters not now, the why and the how But he’s crossed o’er the Thames in a hurry, Let them call him deserter who may But he’ll stick to the Rovers alway Yes he sticks tight as glue - that’s just what he’ll do Though the bowlers peg at him all day … The break was not really of his making, so any accusations of desertion would have been hurtful to a man of his Christian outlook and equable temperament. Lucas made a good start to the 1883 season, but from the outset his appearances were more intermittent than in the past. On debut for Middlesex his 29 not out and 97 were a vital contribution to an 85-run win over Gloucestershire. He represented the South against the North, and the Gentlemen against both Universities and the Players. He played only three more games for Middlesex, scoring 63 runs in five innings, and no first-class cricket after 21 July, although he turned out as usual for Uppingham Rovers. Lucas played his best cricket in the two games against the Players. After two days of absorbing cricket at The Oval, the Gentlemen needed 150 to win with all their wickets in hand. They were expected to win fairly easily, but heavy overnight rain slowed the wicket and made run-getting very difficult. Lucas opened the batting and ‘played in his best style’ but wickets fell steadily at the other end. When he had made only eight, Lucas was caught at point by Lockwood, but both umpires were unsighted and he was reprieved. If he knew he was out and chose not to walk, it would go against our image of the gilded amateur playing the game for its own sake, but we will never be sure. Scoring was very slow until A.G.Steel ‘infused some life into the game’ with a rapid 31. When the seventh wicket fell, at 104, all of 63