Lives in Cricket No 13 - AP Lucas

Captaincy CricketArchive shows Lucas as captain in 32 first-class matches, but the list is probably incomplete. According to Home Gordon, 80 ‘Personally Mr Lucas is one of the most modest and retiring of men. He refused the captaincy of Cambridge University, and never liked leading any side.’ He was briefly appointed captain of Surrey and occasionally skippered sides in individual matches, but he did not lead a team for a whole campaign until he was elected captain of the Rovers in 1886. The evidence is that, despite any reluctance, for them he was quite a shrewd and tough-minded captain, who stood no nonsense. At Eastbourne in 1887, when Lucas was either ignorant or disingenuous, he and his side benefited: At 6.26 J.Turner was out first ball and Bunny, not knowing the rules of the game, refused to send a man in so there was an argument which lasted until 6.30; time to draw. Next morning Bunny went in and showed he was in form. After a lease at slip he soon made his hundred. He eventually scored 137 and, in the days before declarations, the later batsmen tried to get themselves out but the match ended in a draw. In 1888 at Huddersfield, the Rovers bowled poorly and ‘Bunny’s unspoken but very evident contempt made the Uppingham Rovers bowlers look rather low.’ Overnight Lucas had stern words with his leading bowler, A.M.Sutthery, who on the second day took nine wickets as the Rovers bowled Huddersfield out twice. In the following year, the Bradford team comprised eleven professionals who ‘damned the pitch as unfit to play on but Bunny stood firm and refused to allow the pitch to be changed, so eventually a start was made.’ He proved his point by scoring 96. Lucas had succeeded C.E.Green as captain of the Rovers and in 1889 took over from his old friend at his new county, where he soon showed that he could be just as stern and competitive a captain. Essex dominated their game at Leicester and were left needing only 45 to win in 65 minutes but ‘batted very indifferently’ and collapsed to 39 for seven, of which Lucas made 21 not out. Even after the passage of seven years Hugh Owen recalled with typical cricketer’s understatement that ‘A.P.Lucas was one of the not outs, but he did not look very pleased when he came into the pavilion.’ 81 Lucas led Essex for all but one of the next six years, and his captaincy probably played as big a part as his batting in their gaining first-class status. He was by far the most experienced amateur in the side but, if Gordon is right, it was greatly to his credit that he accepted a role he did not much enjoy. He resigned after the 1894 season but from 1898 began to deputise for his successor, Hugh Owen. After Owen’s retirement in July 1902, he was formally appointed club captain for the rest of the season. The man and the cricketer 86 80 Gordon, op cit. , p 454. 81 Cricket magazine, 1896.