Francis Lacey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir Francis Eden Lacey (born October 19, 1859 at Wareham, Dorset; died May 26, 1946, Sutton-Veny House, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire) was the first man ever to be knighted for services to cricket, on retiring as Secretary of MCC, a post which he held from 1898 to 1926. As Secretary, he initiated many important reforms. He was subsequently a Trustee of the club from 1926 until his death.
He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow round-arm bowler. He played both football and cricket for Cambridge University, obtaining a Blue for football in 1881 and for cricket in 1882. Most of his cricket, in a first-class career lasting from 1880-1897, was played for Hampshire. He was their captain from 1888 to 1889, and President in 1927-8. Hampshire were not admitted to the County Championship until 1895, prior to which they played comparatively few first-class matches. He therefore played only 50 first-class games during his long career, scoring 2589 runs at an average of 32.77, with four hundreds and a highest score of 211 against Kent in 1884. He took 52 wickets at 21.59, with best innings figures of 7/149. He scored 323* for Hampshire against Norfolk in 1887 in a non first-class fixture, which remains the highest score ever made in a Minor Counties match.
He was a barrister by profession.
[edit] Reference
- Barclay's World of Cricket - 2nd Edition, 1980, Collins Publishers, ISBN 0-00-216349-7
