An undemonstrative player who made his reputation by conceding very few byes in large totals compiled by stronger teams, Luckes started slowly in terms of the numbers of dismissals, but developed into one of the leading keepers of his day, high in the fielding statistics tables for several seasons.
Somerset used a variety of amateur and professional wicketkeepers in Luckes' absence, including Seymour Clark, the ultimate non-batsman, and Frank Lee, the opening batsman who later became a Test umpire.
He then remained as the regular wicketkeeper for the county up to and beyond the Second World War, standing up at the wicket to all but the fastest deliveries from Arthur Wellard and Bill Andrews and even in his last match, at the age of 48, managing a stumping off the quick bowler Jim Redman.
[2] Luckes returned to first-class cricket after the Second World War and set a county record with 77 dismissals in 1946.
But at the end of the 1948 season, with Luckes now 47, Somerset recruited Harold Stephenson from Durham, and Stephenson took over the wicketkeeping role after a few games of the 1949 season, going on to break Luckes' county record in his first year.