Cricket 1890

102 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. MAT 8, 1890. » £ C 0 1 ^ E S P 0 N D E N C E - i* THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP. To t h e E d it o r o f “ C r ic k e t .” S i r , —Now that we are at the commence­ ment of the 1890 cricket season might I be permitted to suggest the following anent County Championship or Premiership, which you will! As agreed, wins only are to count oints, but in agreeing to this why was not alf a point permitted when an eleven won in a single innings ? Had Nottinghamshire in 1889 been allowed half a point for her remark­ able one innings victories, much newspaper controversy would have been averted. Surely some recognition should be made in the case of one innings wins. If this matter is worth consideration and not too late to take up, I should be pleased to see the opinions of others interested like myself in the further­ ance of the game. Even if too late to be en­ tertained for the season of 1890,1 think it a subject for much consideration when next the county secretaries meet. In the meantime the Committee of M.C.C. might bear the matter in mind.—I am, yours ever truly, F. G. S p y b e y . William Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, May 1,1890. FORTY YEARS OF CRICKET. As most C r ic k e t readers are well aware by this time, Mr. W. G. Grace’s latest contribution to the literature of the game is now being published in several papers in different parts of the country. (Jp to the present time, we believe, five chapters have appeared, and the book is to be completed in instal­ ments. Anything relating to the Grace family, and especially to W. G.’s initia­ tion in the game, is sure to be of interest, and we have therefore reproduced a por­ tion of the chapter which show’s the part the Graces, father and sons, took in the development of Cricket in the West. This is W. G.’s unvarnished tale :— My father, Henry Mills Grace, was born at Long Ashton, in Somersetshire. He was a fair cricketer, though not possessing the skill of either of my brothers. When he was a boy he played a great deal, and if he had had the opportunities afforded to his children, would have attained a good position as an all-round player. Clubs were few in number in his boyhood, and grounds were fewer still. For one club that possessed a ground of its own, a dozen had to content themselves with the open common. Nor were schools so considerate about playing cricket in his time, and players had many difficulties in the way of practising and learning. The greatest difficulty he had to contenl against was the distance to the ground. Clubs in the neighbourhood of Bristol were singularly fortunate in one respect : they had plenty of open ground then, a; th* y have now. Dunlham Downs were available, and, though not so carefully looked after as they have been in later years, a very fair pitch could be obtained. But schoolboys had long hours of work in those days, and a three-mile walk, the greater part uphill, while not much of an undertaking to an enthusiastic boy, took some time. In later yeirs, when he was a medical student, it was impossible for him to get away during the afternoon or evening, as most students do in the present day, and if he had not resorted to extraordinary hours he would have been c mpelled to give up playing. Two or three da/s a week throughout the cricketing season, h« o n i a number of companions were in the 1a 'it of going to the Downs, and practising between the hours of five and eight a.m. In that way only could he continue the game he loved so well; and I remember we tried to follow in his footsteps in after years, at not quite so early an hour. He had the great qualities of perseverance and concentration, and he diligently impressed upon his children the need for cultivating them. He would sacrifice any amount of time to teach them oricket or medicine, and did not mind if they were not very quick in learning ; but he would have no skulking or half-heartedness. I can remember his words now, spoken at a time when I was young and overgrown, and wondering if I should ever be strong enough to do any good at the game. “ Have patience, my boy, and keep pegging away. Anything worth doing is worth doing well; and there is nothing you cannot attain, if you only try hard enough.” My father and mother were married in the year 1831, and settled down in Downend, Gloucestershire, where they lived the rest of their lives. Downend is about four miles from Bristol, and was not a more important village sixty years ago than it is now. At the time my father made it the place of his labours it was a small scattered village, and tourists, when they travelled that way, rarely paid it the compliment of staying long in it. My father had now to make his way in life, and was at the beck and call of every sick erson within a radius of twelve miles. He ad not an hour he could call his own. The early morning saw him riding six miles east­ ward ; at midnight he was often six miles to the west. My mother was heart and soul with him in his work; and if the early years of their married life were full of thought and trial, they were consecrated by perfect sympathy. He was full of enthusiasm for his profession, and did not mind riding any dis­ tance to relieve the sick; and they both loved country life. There was not much time for cricket now. The village did not have a club of its own, and for exercise outside of his work my father had to be content with an occasional day’s hunting. He would run into Bristol now and again, to look at the matches of the Clifton and Bristol clubs—about the only two worth seeing at that time, within available reach. My brother Henry, the eldest of the family, was born on the 31st January, 1833. When he was about eight or nine years of age he was sent to school, and every time he came home would talk of nothing but cricket. My father realised that he would be compelled, sooner or later, to create time to help him, if he desired to keep in touch withhim physically as well as mentally. He was strong in the belief that, if you want to educate and influence a boy thoroughly, it is important to play with him as to work with him ; so he took time by the forelock, and had a cricket pitch laid in front of the house. It was not much of a pitch, and I question if it was full size ; but it was sufficient to teach the rudiments of the game, and Henry made distinct progress. The windows suffered, but that was a small matter to the boy, and my father and mother accepted it gracefully, as evidence of growing powers. The villagers and surrounding neighbours began to take an interest in him, and nothing would satisfy them but that my father must take the initiative in forming a club. Why should not Downend have a club of its own ? Downend was willing, but not strong enough to walk alone; so one or two of the neigh­ bouring villages were invited to help, and a club was established, and named “ The Mangotsfield.” Rodway-hill was the most convenient spotfor the majority of the players, and, indeed, about the only place where the ground could be had. It was common ground ; but the members set to work with a will, and levelled and railed in about forty yards square at considerable expense. The West Glouces­ tershire Club was formed about a year later by Mr. Henry Hewitt and the students living with the Rev. Mr. Woodford, the clergyman at Coalpit Heath. And now my father became more enthusi­ astic than ever, and prevailed upon some of his old Bristol friends to come over and help tho good cause. My uncle Alfred Pocook responded heartily, and twice a week walked between the two places, a distance of twelve miles. He was a first-class racquet player; and, though he had not played cricket until he was twenty-three years of age, did not see why he should not become a first-class cricketer also. He, too, possessed my father’s enthusiasm and perseverance; so it can be readily understood the Mangotsfield Club began to improve rapidly. My father was 5ft. lOin. in height; weight, about 13st. He batted right-handed; but bowled and threw in with his left. No man was more alive to the importance of choosing carefully an eleven for match play. A week or two before a match was to be played he would take out his note-book and write down his team: “ First,” said he, “ I must have two good bowlers. “ Nos. 3 and 4 must be change-bowlers. “ Nos. 5 and 6 must be wicket-keeper and long-stop. “ The rest can take care of themselves, as long as they can field and bat. “ They must be able to field. I won’t have lazy or careless fieldsmen in my team. “ I can forgive you fellows if you don’t make a hundred every time; but there must be no missing of catches.” Good fielding was his strong point, and he used to insist upon his team practising throwing and catching all round the field. Another important order was that, one night a week at least, sides should be chosen, and everyone play as if it were a match. The account of Dr. E. M. Grace’s first summons to Canterbury and his intro­ duction to the Canterbury week gives a very characteristic representation of “ The Doctor’s ” readiness to play cricket any­ where and at the shortest notice. For years, during the cricket week, my father and mother had been in the habit of staying at Canterbury, where they had many friends, and were heartily welcomed in cricket circles. As they were strolling quietly round the city on Saturday afternoon, they met Mr. Fitzgerald, of the M.C.C. He had just heard that one or two of the players who had pro­ mised to play for England v. Kent on the Monday could not come, and he was at his wits’ end to find substitutes. He knew of E. M., and his doings, and hailed my father as a benefactor. Would he communicate with E. M., and prevail upon him to come?. My father consented, on the condition that E. M. should be allowed to play for the M.C.C. in the second match the latter half of the week, a concession which was immediately made. While they were chatting E. M. was batting for Frenchay v. Knole Park, and my brother Alfred and I were trying all we knew to get his wicket. We did not get it ; and a lovely time we had of it, E. M. scoring 208 (not out) in a total of 308. As far as I can remember, he did not get my father’s message until Monday morning. Half an hour after he was driving down the avenue, and the pony-trap did not seem half big enough for him. Alfred, Fred, and myself did everything to speed him; but E. M.’s thoughts were all about Canterbury, and our little attentions were not appreciated. Alfred advised him to put his best foot forward, and keep up the family reputation. Fred and my­ self were too young to dare to express our opinion, but we watched his departure with beating hearts and open mouths. We did manage to blurt out: “ Good-bye, Ted ! won’t you shake hands before you go ? ” He reached Canterbury on Tuesday; and for England scored a duck first innings, 56 second. Willsher, Sewell, and Lipscomb were the bowlers, and his 56 included nine 4’s and six 2’s.