Frank Luce (cricketer)

Frank Mowbray Luce (26 April 1878 – 9 September 1962) was an English cricketer whose first-class cricket career spanned 25 matches for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club between 1901 and 1911.[1] A right-handed batsman and occasional left-arm bowler of an unknown style, Luce scored 754 runs at a batting average of 18.39.[2] He played in only three seasons – 1901, 1907 and 1911 – because of his career in the Indian Civil Service in Bengal.

Luce was born in Gloucester. He was educated at Cheltenham College and played cricket for his school.[3] For his college he opened the bowling frequently, taking three wickets against Haverford College on 29 June 1896.[4] He also scored 71 batting in the lower order against Marlborough College on 3 July,[5] followed by a score of 90 against Clifton College on 8 July.[6] He then took seven wickets across a match against Haileybury College in August,[7] then another seven in a match against Liverpool Cricket Club in 1897.[8]

His first-class career began in 1901 with two matches of the County Championship. His debut on 13 May against Nottinghamshire saw him make scores of zero and 28.[9] He made two against Middlesex at Lord's Cricket Ground on 30 May,[10] and did not play again until 1907.[11]

He returned in June 1907 against Worcestershire and made his maiden half-century, scoring fifty exactly.[12] He played 10 matches in total that year, scoring 295 runs at 19.66. He returned for 13 games in 1911, scoring 429 runs at 18.65 including two more half-centuries.[11] He died in Reading, Berkshire in 1962.[2]