W. G. Grace's cricket career (1887 to 1891)

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W. G. Grace played mostly for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) during the five seasons from 1887 to 1891. He also represented England in Test cricket.

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1887 English cricket season

Grace's best return in the 1880s was 2,062 runs in 1887 with six centuries. [1]

Grace made 24 first-class appearances in 1887, scoring 2,062 runs, with a highest score of 183 not out, at an average of 54.26 with 6 centuries and 8 half-centuries. In the field, he took 21 catches and 97 wickets with a best analysis of 7–53. His bowling average was 21.46; he had 5 wickets in an innings 7 times and 10 wickets in a match once. [1]

1888 English cricket season

In 1888, he scored two centuries in one match v Yorkshire (148 and 153) and labelled this "my champion match". [2]

Grace made 33 first-class appearances in 1888, scoring 1,886 runs, with a highest score of 215, at an average of 32.51 with 4 centuries and 7 half-centuries. In the field, he took 34 catches and 93 wickets with a best analysis of 6–74. His bowling average was 18.18; he had 5 wickets in an innings 6 times. [1]

1889 English cricket season

Grace had reduced his bowling somewhat in the last few seasons and he became an occasional bowler only from 1889.

Grace made 24 first-class appearances in 1889, scoring 1,396 runs, with a highest score of 154, at an average of 32.46 with 3 centuries and 7 half-centuries. In the field, he took 22 catches and 44 wickets with a best analysis of 8–37. His bowling average was 23.18; he had 5 wickets in an innings twice and 10 wickets in a match once. [1]

1890 English cricket season

Grace made 30 first-class appearances in 1890, scoring 1,476 runs, with a highest score of 109 not out, at an average of 28.38 with 1 century and 9 half-centuries. In the field, he took 31 catches and 61 wickets with a best analysis of 6–68. His bowling average was 19.37; he had 5 wickets in an innings 3 times. [1]

1891 English cricket season

Injury problems, particularly a bad knee, took their toll in the early 1890s and Grace had his worst season in 1891 when he scored no centuries and could only average 19.76.

Grace made 24 first-class appearances in 1891, scoring 771 runs, with a highest score of 72 not out, at an average of 19.76 with 0 centuries and 5 half-centuries. In the field, he took 19 catches and 58 wickets with a best analysis of 7–38. His bowling average was 16.77; he had 5 wickets in an innings 5 times and 10 wickets in a match once. [1]

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W. G. Grace is believed to have considered retirement from cricket before the 1878 season after he was seriously injured in a shooting accident the previous autumn which nearly cost him the sight of an eye. Having recovered, he reconsidered and in 1878 played in 33 matches, 24 of which are generally recognised as first-class. His main roles in the season were captain of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and both match organiser and captain of the United South of England Eleven (USEE). In addition, he represented Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture and the South in the North v South series. 1878 was a cold, wet summer and not one of Grace's better seasons as a batsman, but he was very effective in such conditions as a right arm medium pace roundarm bowler and completed a sixth successive "double" by scoring 1,151 runs and taking 152 wickets in the recognised first-class matches.

W. G. Grace established his reputation in 1864 and, by 1870, was widely recognised as the outstanding player in English cricket.

W. G. Grace played in 31 matches in the 1895 English cricket season, 29 of which are recognised as first-class.

Following his "Indian Summer" in 1895, W.G. Grace continued to play first-class cricket through his fiftieth birthday in 1898 and finally severed his connections with both Gloucestershire and England in 1899.

W.G. Grace was mainly associated with the new London County Cricket Club during this period. His first-class career ended in 1908 when he was nearly 60.

Following his father's death in December 1871, W. G. Grace increased his involvement with the United South of England Eleven (USEE) in order to provide more income for his mother, with whom he and his younger brother Fred were still living. Grace continued to play regularly for Gloucestershire and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and, when required, by the Gentlemen. In the late summer of 1872, he toured North America with a team of players who all had amateur status. In the 1873 season, he performed his first season "double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets.

W. G. Grace played in 32 matches in the 1871 English cricket season, 25 of which are recognised as first-class. His main roles in 1871 were as captain of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and as both match organiser and captain of the United South of England Eleven (USEE). In addition, he represented Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture and the South in the North v South series.

Having toured Australia the previous winter, W.G. Grace's team landed in England on 18 May 1874 and he was quickly back into domestic cricket. The 1874 season was very successful for him as he completed a second successive "double". Gloucestershire again had a strong claim to the Champion County title although some sources have awarded it to Derbyshire and Grace himself said that it should have gone to Yorkshire. Grace made 21 first-class appearances in 1874, scoring 1,664 runs, with a highest score of 179, at an average of 52.00 with 8 centuries and 2 half-centuries. In the field, he held 35 catches and 140 wickets with a best analysis of 7–18. His bowling average was 12.71; he had 5 wickets in an innings 17 times and 10 wickets in a match 9 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. G. Grace's cricket career (1876 to 1877)</span>

One of the most outstanding phases of W. G. Grace’s career occurred in the 1876 season, beginning with his career highest score of 344 for MCC v Kent at Canterbury in August. Two days after his innings at Canterbury, he made 177 for Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire; and two days after that 318 not out for Gloucestershire v Yorkshire, these two innings against counties with exceptionally strong bowling attacks including Alfred Shaw, Fred Morley, Tom Emmett and Allen Hill. Thus, in three consecutive innings Grace scored 839 runs and was only out twice.

W. G. Grace qualified as a doctor in 1879 made his first appearance in Test cricket the following year, scoring the first-ever century by an England batsman.

W. G. Grace played mostly for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) during the four seasons from 1883 to 1886. He also represented England and shared his highest Test partnership in 1886, the same season in which he achieved his career-best bowling analysis.

W. G. Grace played mostly for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) during the five seasons from 1887 to 1891. He also represented England in Test cricket.

W. G. Grace visited Australia in 1873–74 as captain of Lord Sheffield's team.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rae, p.495.
  2. Midwinter, p.89.

Bibliography