Cricket 1898

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron.\ Vo. 4 8 7 . VOX.. X V I I . A CHAT ABOUT DR. GRACE. Two or three years ago a email boy who had grown old enough to know that a cricket ball can “ hurt like anything” was asked to mention his two dearest wishes. After a moment’s hesitation, merely to decide which of his wishes he should place first, and not because he had not) made up his mind, he replied, “ To see the ‘old man’ and the Tower of London.” The questioner, a young lady who played croquet, expressed astonishment at such a re­ mark, and asked the young­ ster, “ Who is the old man ? ” To which came the unexpected answer, “ Do you mean t >say that you haven’t seen W.G. at your time of life !” It for­ tunately happened that the young lady was able to state with truth that she had seen the great cricketer, and there­ by shepreservedher reputation for being up-to-date. There are good people who cinnot understand how it is that the name of a man who is not a great general, or a cabinet minister, or an opera singer— not even a bishop—should be familiarly spoken of in every household in English-speak­ ing countries by tven the smallest children; they must understand still less the unanimity with which the newspapers, of whatever kind, whetherpDlitical, finan­ cial , agricultural, religious, sentimental, or given up to descriptions of feminineattire, have offered their heartiest congratulations to Dr. Grace on his fiftieth birthday. But such unfortunate people may well be left to their own innocent wonder. Everybody else finds no difficulty whatever in the solution of the problem. For the last thirty years Englishmen at large have taken the deepest interest in “ whatGracehasbeendoing,” andoflate Australians, Americans an I Canadians have enormously added to the list of the Doctor’s admirers. From time to time TH U R SD A Y , JU L Y 2 1 , 1898 . giants have risen in the game, and have for the moment put the doings of W.G. in the shade. But they have not been able to keep their place in the front for long, and, even when the newcomers have beenmost successful, cricketers have never swerved in their allegiance to the one and only Champion. There have befn years when it has been prophesied that W.G. would be obliged to retire, played out; there have even been months when it was hinted that he was lagging superfluous on the scene, although even when he has been at his lowest ebb he has been worthy of a place in any county team. But throughout all these years there has never been a question, when the time has come for choosing a p r i c e ad. representative team of any kind, of filling his place by one of the younger genera­ tion. At one period of his life he was such a famous bowler that his batting fell into the background by comparison, but through fortune and misfortune he has always held his place as the best all­ round man of the day. At the time when the hints were strongest that he ought to retire, he proceeded to make a couple of innings of over two hundred each, and thfre was no more talk of a falling-off. This year he 1ad done nothing very remark­ able until a few days before his fiftieth birthday, when he did such surprising per­ formances with bat and ball that all the world wondered at the versatility of the man. It was but fitting that the great match of the year should be begun upon his fiftieth birthday, and that no other first-class match should be played at the same time. The Doctor has passed through some stcra y times. Like all great men, he has had his detractors, and he has not always felt that it was necessary for him to sit down quietly and fold his hands while they had tho'r innings. In the days when the Gloucestershire county club was in a parlous state, it required all the Vrist popu­ larity of the captain of the team to weather the Btorm which burst overhis head. He wasaccused of taking too much upon him, like the sons of Levi, but if he had not fought tooth and nail for his county, i t would unquestionably have gonedown into utterinsignifi- cance. Even as it was, there were years when it seemed that the county must descend into the second class, and thus practically be blotted out, but perseverance and the good sense of the captain and the committee triumphed in the end, w it h the result that the team is now one of the most admirable in Eng­ land. There may be—there are—various opinions as to thequalificationsofW.G.for DR. W . O. GRACE. (From a Photo by R. W. Thomas , Cheapside, London , E.C.)