Francis Lacey Cricketer

Sir Francis Eden Lacey was the first man 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. Francis Eden Lacey was educated at Sherborne School and Caius College, Cambridge. 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 to 1897, was played for Hampshire. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow round-arm bowler. He was Hampshire's 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 (at the Antelope Ground, Southampton) 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 called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in 1889, and practiced as a barrister. His portrait was painted by George Spencer Watson in 1928.