Bookaar cricketer Fraser Lucas has achieved it all from an individual standpoint but its the memories alongside mates he values much higher than any individual accomplishments.
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The star all-rounder, who has played all his cricket with the Pelicans, brings up his 200th South West Cricket division one game against Pomborneit on Saturday and is looking forward to the occasion.
"It is nice, it'll definitely be something that I look back on a bit more fondly when I do finish," he told The Standard.
"To reach it this weekend is a special little moment that I can celebrate with the guys I play with and the club so I'm looking forward to that aspect more than the actual milestone itself. It will just be nice to sit back, have a drink and celebrate with those people that I've played with for a pretty long time."
During his 199 matches the 30-year-old has dominated bowling attacks and decimated batting line-ups, plundering 4729 runs - with seven hundreds - and taking 354 wickets.
He earned the league's cricketer of the year title in 2021-22, a campaign which saw him score 542 runs and snare 29 wickets.
While individual success is nice, Lucas doesn't view it as the highlight of his career.
"I've probably more so enjoyed rocking up every Saturday and getting to play cricket with a number of your good mates, that's probably been the highlights for me," he said.
"Individually you want to make runs and take wickets and at times I've been able to do both but it's the memories that I'll hold close to me."
Lucas, who has represented South West Cricket's senior representative side on numerous occasions, has a hazy recollection of his division one debut with the Pelicans at around 15-years-old but recalls it being at Noorat.
He said it took him a "good three or four years" to find his feet in senior cricket but is adamant those early opportunities, alongside high-quality players, set him up for the exemplary career he has today.
"Just to play with the likes of Simon and Clinton Baker, Jason Mungean, James Gellie, Brian Cunningham, particularly in those early years it was really crucial to me going on to forging my spot in the side and being able to maintain it," he said.
Lucas said Baker, still a key member of Bookaar's top-grade outfit, had taught him a lot over the years and nurtured himself as well as many of the team's current players.
The star all-rounder has been fortunate enough to play with his brothers Eddie and Charlie, as well as some cousins at the club which had been a "second home" for the past 15 years.
Unfortunately, due to a two-year stint in Queensland, Lucas missed out on the Pelicans' first division one premiership in 20 years last season.
He said from an individual perspective it was "gutting" but at the same time he was "really proud to see the boys and the club finally get some success".
Lucas didn't take long to rediscover his form upon his return to the Pelicans and has 395 runs (49.38 average) and eight wickets across all forms this season.
The Pelicans sit fourth on the ladder ahead of the final four rounds, with Lucas aware his side faces stiff competition in its quest to go back-to-back.
"We want to go as far as we can this season and ideally end up with that success but we know there's a lot of hard work to be done between now and then and the opportunity is in our hands," he said.
"So it's up to us to make the most of it."
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
