WG Grace - The Champion Cricketer

[Burgey]

Sensational contribution first up, Jimmy!

Welcome aboard.

 

[SJS]

Hi, first post and very sorry to bump a pretty old thread.
Just thought this WG portrait as a 24 year old would complement those already posted.
Identified and dated (on back) as 1872... I guess from the same photoshoot as the first image by SJS.

Enjoy,

Jimmy Leiderman

Lovely thanks for sharing Jimmy.

That's an interesting hairstyle the young 'old man' is sporting :-)

 

[Cricketana]

Thanks again guys.

The date '1872' placed on the back of the photograph had me wondering if these photos were taken on that same year (WG being a 24 year old) or earlier.

Btw, the WG portrait was found in Canada (RA Fitzgerald's tour?)

As far as other 19c photos, here are some I've been able to scan an upload (not much time these days)...

Cricket - a set on Flickr

Probably not as '***y' as WG, but pretty interesting. Robert Carpenter in 1863, Cecil Rhodes (the mining magnate) in 1869, Alfred Shaw, etc...

 

[SJS]

Thanks again guys.

The date '1872' placed on the back of the photograph had me wondering if these photos were taken on that same year (WG being a 24 year old) or earlier.

Btw, the WG portrait was found in Canada (RA Fitzgerald's tour?)

As far as other 19c photos, here are some I've been able to scan an upload (not much time these days)...

Cricket - a set on Flickr

Probably not as '***y' as WG, but pretty interesting. Robert Carpenter in 1863, Cecil Rhodes (the mining magnate) in 1869, Alfred Shaw, etc...

Hi

Is that your Flickr page ? I have marked you as a contact (assuming it is) :-)

Swaranjeet

 

[Cricketana]

Hi

Is that your Flickr page ? I have marked you as a contact (assuming it is) :-)

Swaranjeet

Yes... added you too.

Man, you're a great photographer!

 

[SJS]

Yes... added you too.

Man, you're a great photographer!

Awww . . . thanks :-)

 

[archie mac]

Do you know Britain's Prince William Princess do? Kate's wedding dress is very beautiful, I really like it, ask a friend to help me booked it imitate,click see prom dreses.

Haha, am I missing something?

 

[Spikey]

amazing stuff

 

[ankitj]

Disappointed that I am the only one to like that post so far. Quality stuff

 

[harsh.ag]

Amazing chops to post it in a cricket forum, must say. Perhaps the mention of Grace in the title misled her/him/bot

 

[fredfertang]

Should've been in at least one of the recent Sachin threads

 

[a massive zebra]

Some interesting contemporary articles on W.G. Grace

Mr. W.G. Grace, from Baily's Magazine, October 1870
Cricket Celebrities, from Bell's Life, May 1870
Mr. W.G. Grace, from Town and Country Journal, December 1873
Biography: Mr W.G. Grace at Downend, The Sydney Mail, December 1876
An Interview With Dr W.G. Grace, Pall Mall Budget, November 1884
Dr W.G. Grace: A Champion Cricketer, The Manchester Athletic News, March 1887
A Man of Today: Dr W.G. Grace, July 1897

 

[zaremba]

In the first article, what is the meaning of the statistic that his average in a particular season was (say) "57 and 9 over"?

 

[a massive zebra]

I think it means the average was 57 with a remainder of 9. So if someone made 1149 runs in 20 completed innings, the average in our world would be 57.45, but in the 1870s world it is 57 and 9 over. To explain statistically:

57 average * 20 innings = 1140 runs
AND 1149-1140= 9
SO AS 20 (innings) >9 (runs)

1149 runs in 20 completed innings gives an average of 57 and 9 over

Averages were calculated this way in the early editions of both Wisden and Lillywhite. Decimal places only started to come in to common use in these annuals around the mid 1890s. We should remember it was not so easy to calculate decimal places before the invention of calculators and modern computers.

 

[the big bambino]

For someone who never saw Gower you sure know and love your cricket history. Thumbs up.

 

[a massive zebra]

Thank you, kind sir. I blame my parents for not getting to see Gower, as I was only 8 when he played his last Test. They should have had me earlier!

 

[stumpski]

Not everyone here will be able to listen to it unfortunately, but if you can this programme broadcast on Radio 4 late last year is quite fun:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06k95ct

 

[Cricketana]

Just finished reading "Amazing Grace" by Richard Tomlinson and really recommend it.
You can preview it on Google books: https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=1408705184

 

[Coronis]

Redredging this because another thread recently made me go down a Grace rabbit hole.

WG Grace in FC before tests began 1865-1876 (age 17-28)

198 matches 326 innings
16453 runs @ 55.96, 56 tons, 56 fifties
263 catches 3 stumpings
927 wickets @ 14.52, 93 5’fers, 32 10’fers

after tests began 1877-1908 (age 29-59)

672 matches 1152 innings
37758 runs @ 34.83 68 tons, 195 fifties
613 catches 2 stumpings
1882 wickets @ 19.94, 147 5’fers, 32 10’fers

Peak seasons

1871 25 matches 2739 runs @ 78.25 10 tons
1875 26 matches 191 wickets @ 12.94 22 5’fers
1876 26 matches 46 catches

peak allround season imo:
1874 21 matches 1664 runs @ 52.00 8 tons 139 wickets @ 12.64 16 5’fers 35 catches

5 season peaks
1870-1874
107 matches 9501 runs @ 62.92 35 tons

1874-1878
121 matches 792 wickets @ 14.12 80 5’fers

1875 seems to have been particularly wet I’m guessing, as he took his most wickets as well as having a 32 average, the only one in 9 consecutive seasons where he averaged under 50.

Probably his most impressive achievement for me, his 1895 season at 47 years old. Stepped back a lot from bowling in that season and the results were impressive.

29 matches 48 innings 2346 runs @ 51, 9 tons

Born slightly too soon, but what a man.

 

[271 & 16/166]

Redredging this because another thread recently made me go down a Grace rabbit hole.

WG Grace in FC before tests began 1865-1876 (age 17-28)

198 matches 326 innings
16453 runs @ 55.96, 56 tons, 56 fifties
263 catches 3 stumpings
927 wickets @ 14.52, 93 5’fers, 32 10’fers

after tests began 1877-1908 (age 29-59)

672 matches 1152 innings
37758 runs @ 34.83 68 tons, 195 fifties
613 catches 2 stumpings
1882 wickets @ 19.94, 147 5’fers, 32 10’fers

Peak seasons

1871 25 matches 2739 runs @ 78.25 10 tons
1875 26 matches 191 wickets @ 12.94 22 5’fers
1876 26 matches 46 catches

peak allround season imo:
1874 21 matches 1664 runs @ 52.00 8 tons 139 wickets @ 12.64 16 5’fers 35 catches

5 season peaks
1870-1874
107 matches 9501 runs @ 62.92 35 tons

1874-1878
121 matches 792 wickets @ 14.12 80 5’fers

1875 seems to have been particularly wet I’m guessing, as he took his most wickets as well as having a 32 average, the only one in 9 consecutive seasons where he averaged under 50.

Probably his most impressive achievement for me, his 1895 season at 47 years old. Stepped back a lot from bowling in that season and the results were impressive.

29 matches 48 innings 2346 runs @ 51, 9 tons

Born slightly too soon, but what a man.

Thanks for posting this great summary and "redredging" this wonderful thread. Can never get enough of reading about the great cricketer