Ducat Andy Image 10 Surrey 1912

Description

Brixton, London born Andy Ducat was a remarkable sportsman and one of only 12 men to represent England at both football and cricket.

He joined the ground staff at The Oval in 1906, and soon became a regular member of the county team, playing alongside Tom Hayward, Jack Hobbs and Ernest Hayes. A powerful, forcing right handed batsman, he played for Surrey until 1931 and made 52 centuries and 109 half centuries for the county, including 306 not out in 280 minutes against Oxford University in 1919, and 290 not out against Essex in 1921. He was also one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1920. Ducat played a single Test Match for England against Australia at Headingley in 1921, when he played alongside fellow double international Wally Hardinge, but he was unlucky to only make only 3 and 2. He was “doubly” out in the first innings: his bat disintegrated when he played a ball bowled by Ted McDonald, the ball looping to slip where it was caught, and part of the bat dislodged a bail. He was given out caught rather than hit wicket.

In 1928, he made 994 runs in less than six weeks, including centuries in four successive matches. His first class career batting average was a very creditable 38.31. An occasional bowler, he took 21 wickets in his 429 first class matches including a career best 3-12, holding 206 catches. He was the cricket coach of Queensland in the winter of 1929-30 and at Eton College from 1931 to 1936.

His football career started as an amateur with Westcliff Athletic in 1903 and at Southend Athletic (later United) in 1904, after which he joined First Division Woolwich Arsenal in February 1905 where he made his Football League debut against Blackburn Rovers days after signing, playing at centre forward, but by 1907 he had moved into the half back line where his career flourished at right half. He played for Arsenal for seven  years winning the first of his 6 England caps, awarded either side of First World War, in a 1-1 draw against Ireland at The Solitude, Belfast in February 1910 (he had been selected for the England squad for the same fixture in 1908 without playing and was also a reserve for England games in 1911 and 1912). He won 2 further caps for England in 1910 scoring once against Wales at The Cardiff Arms Park, the only goal of the game.

Having played 188 games for Arsenal scoring 21 goals he transferred to Aston Villa for £1,500 in June 1912 but a broken leg kept him out of their 1913 FA Cup win and he only played four matches as Aston Villa also finished runners up in the League Championship. However after the First World War he captained Villa to their 1920 FA Cup Final triumph over Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge and won 3 further England caps that year, playing against each of the other home nations between March and October, a decade after his previous appearances.

After scoring 4 goals in 87 games either side of the War, he joined Fulham in May 1921 for £2,000, and on retirement from Fulham after 69 games in May 1924 he continued as their manager for a further two seasons where he succeeded Phil Kelso, his former manager at Arsenal. After giving up the post as Fulham manager in May 1926, Ducat returned to amateur status and played for The Casuals.

He died of an apparent heart attack while playing cricket at Lord’s in 1942 aged 56, and remains the only person to have died while playing in a match at Lord’s.