Cricket 1911

184 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. M at 27, 1911. © M i n a r m D r . E . M. G R A C E . "With great regret we announce that Dr. Edw ard M ills Grace, the oldest of the famous cricket trium virate, died at P ark House, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, on Saturday last. L ast year he had a severe illness from which he effected a partial recovery, but a few months ago his health again broke down and he passed away as stated. He was born at Downend, near Bristol, the third son of Dr. Henry M ills Grace, on November 28th, 18 4 1, and was therefore in his seventieth year at the time of his death. Reference to the records of the game show that “ E . M .” played in matches for a period of sixty ytars, commencing in 18 5 1 and appearing on the field for the last time in 19 10 . In 1885, however, an injured knee kept him out of the game, and in 1908 he was unable to play owing to lameness. Although his first recorded game was in 18 5 1—only fourteen years after the accession of Queen Victoria— it m ust not be thought that he had hitherto been a stranger to the game. He practised frequently, in fact, with his elder brothers, Messrs. H enry and Alfred Grace, and with his uncle, Mr. Alfred Pocock, and there is a tradition in the fam ily to the effect that, when only two years of age, he was m issed from home and, only after a long search, was found a m ile or two aw ay, dragging his father’s bat hehind him and trying to find his way to the cricket ground. T hat may, or may not, be a legend, but alm ost certain it is that his premature use of a full-sized bat enabled him to bring to such perfection the pull, the stroke with which his name chiefly will always be associated. It would have been rem arkable indeed if such a boy as “ E . M .” — “ the boundless,irrepressible,ubiquitous o n e” — had not taken to the game as naturally as a duck to water, for his father was a good player, his mother a keen enthusiast, aftd his uncle, the above mentioned Mr. Alfred Pocock, always ready and eager to teach the young idea, whilst even the dogs took part in the cricket practice. “ E . M .” must have shown a wonderful aptitude for the game whilst still quite young, for he was but thirteen when he was chosen to appear for West Gloucestershire against the A ll England Eleven. It was his long- stopping which gained him a place in the side. On that occasion he scored 1 and 3 against the bowling of W illsher and Bickley, being given out lbw in his first innings to a ball which struck him high up in the stom ach—a verdict which, as he recalled later, he did not feel his size permitted him to question. DuriDg the next few years so m any large scores came from his bat that his name became fam iliar to all cricketers in the country. In those times, when pulling was considered almost a sin, his batting gave rise to much comment, for he scored off many balls which, according to custom, should have been dropped down just in front of the bat, or played gently back to the bowler. For a little time followers of the game appeared to be, and no doubt were, horrified at his unorthodoxy, but it was not long before his vigorous methods made him the most popular player of his day, and his figure as fam iliar as that of his younger and greater brother, “ W. G .,” afterwards became. In 18 6 1 he celebrated “ W .G .’s ” thirteenth birthday by playing his first match at Lord’s. It was for South Wales against M.C.C., and “ E . M .,” with scores of 14 and 4 1 not out and a “ b a g ” of fifteen wickets, was the chief factor in his side’s success by seven wickets. In Ju ly , 1862, he scored 1 18 against Wootton and Grundy, for South Wales Club against M .C.C. and Ground, at headquarters, and in consequence was asked a week or two later, and at almost the last moment, to take part in the Canterbury Week. He arrived on the second day just in time to take his first innings, in which, owing probably to the fatigue of his long journey, he failed to score; but in his second he made 56. H is father was rather disappointed with his display, but any shortcom ings were am ply compensated for in the second match, between Gentlemen of M.C.C. and Gentlemen of Kent, for he not only carried his bat through the innings of 344 for 192, but took all ten wickets in the second innings of Kent for 69 ru n s: the match was twelve a side, and Mr. R. J . Streatfeild was absent. Some objection was raised by the Kent men to “ E . M .” assisting as he was not a member of the M .C .C ., but it was, after some discussion, withdrawn, not, however, before Sir Spencer Ponsonby had threatened to claim the match in the event of the K ent side refusing to play. “ E . M .’s ” performance in the match stamped him as a young player—he was then only 20 years of age— of most exceptional ability, and when he accompanied George P arr's team to A ustralia in 1863-4 he was everywhere recognised as the greatest run-getter in the world. Mr. Pycroft, in referring to his batting in 1863, says*— “ What he did last season (1863) perhaps neither he nor any other m an. for m any a year, will ever do again — to wit, make an average of 39 an innings in 12 first-class matches, *Cricketania, p. 233. sometimes against All England Elevens, and sometimes against extra numbers with professional bowlers given ! ” Dr. G race’s visit to A ustralia in 1863-4 with George P arr caused much excitement in the Colonies, for cricketers out there had read of his wonderful doings at home and were anxious to welcome him and see him perform on their own wickets. Unfortunately, how­ ever, he never showed his best form. In a published account of the tour he has him self said—“ As a cricketer I was not at all successful. I began to play recklessly and could not alter till too late. At Beech- worth, when the eleven had gone home, I played better than I had done all through. Various little sicknesses aided by recklessness, a bad hand, a bad foot, an accident breaking the sheath of one of the muscles of my right elbow so that I could not throw at all, and a continual dimness of sight were sufficient to push me back.” The visit marks an important point in his career, for when he set out he was the greatest player in the world, but soon after his return he found him self surpassed by “ W .G .” In addition to being a fast and heavy scorer, whose methods were delightfully unorthodox, “ E .M .” was a wonderful fielder at point and a very successful bowler, both round-armed and with lobs. His bowling, however, occasionally met with severe punishment. Mr. O. G. Radeliffe once hit him for 53 in three overs, a feat sur­ passed nine years ago by Mr. W. H ym an, who, playing for Bath Association against Thornbury, made 62 runs off him in two con­ secutive overs, scoring 32 off one and 30 from the other. Mr. Hyman made 359 not out in 100 minutes in that match, and during the innings hit “ E .M .” for thirty-two sixes ! In the field he stood very close to the batsman, his qnickness of eye and hand combining in causing him to bring off many and many a catch which would have been impossible to almost everyone else. He was, too, very active on his feet, and always fully alive to every turn in the game. In small matches his doings have been extra­ ordinary even for him. On about a dozen occasions he has gone in first, carried his bat through the innings, and afterwards taken all the wickets of his opponents. In 1872, when he played eleven three- figure innings, his average for Thornbury was as high as 142, and in one of the m atches- against Mr. J . D. T anner’s side—he scored 259 out of 3 3 1 in 100 minutes and carried out his bat. Four years later he played a not out innings of 327 for the club in a half-day match against Chewton Keynsham . In all kinds of cricket during his career he scored 76,760 runs and took 12,078 wickets. In 1864 he obtained 370 wickets and nine years later 369. Those were his largest aggregates, but as far on as 1905 he took 303 and in 1906 as many as 352. In 1907 he secured 2 12 wickets and had 208 catches missed off his bowling. If “ E M .” had been able to devote his whole time and thought to the game his success would have been even greater than it was. Ju st about the time when he was at his best, however, his medical wTork kept him a good deal out of the field, but did not prevent him from scoring over a thousand runs and taking more than a hundred wickets regularly. In 1863 his aggregates were 3,074 and 339 respectively, and “ W .G .’s ” 589 and 56. This fact is mentioned simply to show how great an advance the latter must have made in order to have surpassed his brother in skill two seasons later. U ntil he was almost thirty years of age, E . M. Grace’s cricket was restricted largely to minor games, but the few occasions upon which he appeared in great matches—for the Gentlemen, England, Gentlemen of South, &c .—he performed very well, his best innings being perhaps his 73 in the North and South match at Lord’s in 1863, his 78 for England v. Surrey, at the Oval in 1864, and his 7 1 for the Gentlemen against the Players three years later. Some of his large innings about this period were, of course, made against men to whom his unorthodoxy would not commend itself, and doubtless “ E .M .” at times would find a candid friend among the opposing bowlers who would have no hesitation in telling him what he thought of his methods. But such criticism would have amused “ The Little Doctor ” and served but to make him hit the harder. Upon the formation of the Gloucestershire County C .C ., in 18 7 1, he was able to play more frequently in great matches, and for over twenty years proved one of the most valuable members of the side. From 18 7 1 until 1909 he was also the County Secretary, and upon his retirement was presented with a purse of £600 as a mark of appreciation of his services. H is frequent participation in good- class club cricket had served to keep him in good condition, and it speaks as much for his physique as for his skill that in 1880— nineteen years after his great performance at Canterbury—he was chosen, strictly on his m erits, to open the England innings with his brother “ W .G .,” in the first Test match ever played in this country against Australia. Together they made 9 1 for the first wicket, thereby laying the foundation of England’s large total of 420 and ultimate success by five wickets. Then, indeed, m ight it have been asked :— “ Who hath not owned with rapture smitten frame The Power of Grace, the magic of a name ?”