A Superstitious W.G.

[neville cardus]

What follows, excerpted from Charles Igglesden's 1932 tome Those Superstitions, came as a shock to me. I had always thought of Grace as a genial, happy-go-lucky old codger, certainly not the sort to fret irrationally about silly personal observances. Apparently, though, and to my hysterical incredulity, he did: "That greatest of cricketers, W. G. Grace, was obsessed with the superstition that if his name in the batting list was opposite an even number he would make no runs. That, however, is not the reason. He always went in first, and hence his name was opposite No. 1. It was his obvious and enviable position."

I was less surprised to learn that the highly-strung Hornby* was highly superstitious, too. Igglesden writes, "[T]he dashing Lancashire captain was beginning the innings of his county when the spectators saw him pause as he walked to the wicket, and then turn back to the pavilion. He had glanced at his pads and found that they were reversed -- on the wrong leg. 'I'm going in last instead of first,' he explained. 'If I went in now I should have the bad luck to run myself or somebody else out.' He went in last, but bad luck dogged him, and he ran out his partner in trying to steal one of those short runs for which he was famous."

* Who shared Andrew Symonds's Indian nickname.

 

[archie mac]

What follows, excerpted from Charles Igglesden's 1932 tome Those Superstitions, came as a shock to me. I had always thought of Grace as a genial, happy-go-lucky old codger, certainly not the sort to fret irrationally about silly personal observances. Apparently, though, and to my hysterical incredulity, he did: "That greatest of cricketers, W. G. Grace, was obsessed with the superstition that if his name in the batting list was opposite an even number he would make no runs. That, however, is not the reason. He always went in first, and hence his name was opposite No. 1. It was his obvious and enviable position."

I was less surprised to learn that the highly-strung Hornby* was highly superstitious, too. Igglesden writes, "[T]he dashing Lancashire captain was beginning the innings of his county when the spectators saw him pause as he walked to the wicket, and then turn back to the pavilion. He had glanced at his pads and found that they were reversed -- on the wrong leg. 'I'm going in last instead of first,' he explained. 'If I went in now I should have the bad luck to run myself or somebody else out.' He went in last, but bad luck dogged him, and he ran out his partner in trying to steal one of those short runs for which he was famous."

* Who shared Andrew Symonds's Indian nickname.

Interesting, I have never heard of that WG story, I wonder if it is true???

 

[Days of Grace]

Part myth, part truth i.m.o., like so much of the great man.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

In 1974 Radio 4 in the UK did a short program where they talked to people who either knew WG personally or had seen him play - albeit when he was well past his prime.
Unfortunately I can't remember a damn thing they said. There's little or no chance of the participants still being alive today, but the program might be gathering dust somewhere in the archives.

 

[neville cardus]

Only one man alive today ever saw W.G. play, and he's the oldest man in Britain.

 

[neville cardus]

The author goes on to discuss bowlers' losing their run-ups: "George Ulyett [...] always asked his captain to take him off if this happened. He said his chance of taking a wicket was gone." Which I find very surprising in a player as purportedly laid back and devil-may-care as Happy Jack.

"But there was logic," says Igglesden, "behind this old cricketer's superstition, which also prevailed in the mind of Tom Richardson, Surrey's bowler [...] when he missed his stride and he at once asked to be changed [....]

"A. N. Hornby, affectionately known as 'Monkey' Hornby, the dashing Lancashire captain, was beginning the innings of his county when the spectators saw him pause as he walked to the wicket, and then turn back to the pavilion. He had glanced at his pads and found that they were reversed -- on the wrong leg. 'I'm going in last instead of first,' he explained. 'If I went in now I should have the bad luck to run myself or somebody else out.' He went in last, but bad luck dogged him, and he ran out his partner in trying to steal one of those short runs for which he was famous. [...]

"Present-day cricketers are probably more free from superstition. Percy Chapman, the England captain, tells me that he believes in none of them, but port certainly must go the right way round."

 

[neville cardus]

Interesting, I have never heard of that WG story, I wonder if it is true???

I think that it is true. The book is very well-researched, and its author seems to know a fair amount about cricket. I shall, however, just to be sure, attempt to find out how W.G. did batting in even positions.

 

[pasag]

Love your work, neville.

 

[neville cardus]

Thanks, china. I only do it, though, because I know that there are posters here who will appreciate it and perhaps even shed a little of their own extensive knowledge on it. I've learnt oodles from this place simply by posting the odd bit or piece that catches my eye.

 

[neville cardus]

W.G. was a racist, too

The Grand Old Man of English Cricket was rooming with Albert Hornby, who got up early one morning. Grace asked him where he was going.

"To have my cold bath, of course," Hornby replied.

"Ooooh!" Grace exclaimed. "Monkey, you do make me shudder!"

 

[archie mac]

The Grand Old Man of English Cricket was rooming with Albert Hornby, who got up early one morning. Grace asked him where he was going.

"To have my cold bath, of course," Hornby replied.

"Ooooh!" Grace exclaimed. "Monkey, you do make me shudder!"

Wickets in The West?

 

[Days of Grace]

I highly recommend Simon Rae's book, 'W.G. Grace'. The best book on the Good Doctor i.m.o. and gives you a look not just on The Old Man, but cricket in general in the late 19th century. Gives a superb account of the famous Oval test of 1880.

Have you read it, there, Neville?

 

[neville cardus]

Yes, I've read it. Highly recommended. I got the Hornby-Grace anecdote from it.

 

[Richard]

Only one man alive today ever saw W.G. play, and he's the oldest man in Britain.

Henry Allingham, who popped into The Oval in 2006 for the first time since he saw WG's match. Whether it was 1906 or 1903 no-one can be quite sure.

 

[archie mac]

I highly recommend Simon Rae's book, 'W.G. Grace'. The best book on the Good Doctor i.m.o. and gives you a look not just on The Old Man, but cricket in general in the late 19th century. Gives a superb account of the famous Oval test of 1880.

Have you read it, there, Neville?

He reviewed it for the site http://www.cricketweb.net/content/bookreview.php?NewsIDAuto=4692

 

[neville cardus]

Another ultra-superstitious contemporary of W.G. Grace was Frederick Robert Spofforth, the great "Demon Bowler" who did more than anyone else to establish Australia's cricketing worth in the hearts and minds of the British public.

Although he had about him a rather haughty and obnoxious air, Spofforth was really quite anxious and highly-strung. Ranji, Felix, Lilley and R.H. Lyttelton have all recounted how he would stay up late into the night and fret over the next day's batting army. Not even today's Australians, sticklers for preparation that they are, give as much thought to working out an opponent as he did.

For all his contradictory blend of self-confidence and anxiety, however, he had the strangest and most amusing of superstitions, and whether or not it really was one is debatable.

"Spoff has got a new plan today," Billy Murdoch, his bosom pal and captain, would announce, "and says it will come alright provided he does not meet a cross-eyed woman."

If, as was seldom the case, Spofforth's plan did not come to fruition, his explanation would be simple: "Well, you know, I met a cross-eyed woman, and what could I do after that?"

 

[archie mac]

Another ultra-superstitious contemporary of W.G. Grace was Frederick Robert Spofforth, the great "Demon Bowler" who did more than anyone else to establish Australia's cricketing worth in the hearts and minds of the British public.

Although he had about him a rather haughty and obnoxious air, Spofforth was really quite anxious and highly-strung. Ranji, Felix, Lilley and R.H. Lyttelton have all recounted how he would stay up late into the night and fret over the next day's batting army. Not even today's Australians, sticklers for preparation that they are, give as much thought to working out an opponent as he did.

For all his contradictory blend of self-confidence and anxiety, however, he had the strangest and most amusing of superstitions, and whether or not it really was one is debatable.

"Spoff has got a new plan today," Billy Murdoch, his bosom pal and captain, would announce, "and says it will come alright provided he does not meet a cross-eyed woman."

If, as was seldom the case, Spofforth's plan did not come to fruition, his explanation would be simple: "Well, you know, I met a cross-eyed woman, and what could I do after that?"

I have read this attributed to one of the McLeod brothers

 

[neville cardus]

I should be most interested to find out where. That anecdote comes from a Horan article, reproduced on page 314 of Mr Haigh's Ashes Anecdotes.

Did you know that Tom Richardson was also highly superstitious?

 

[archie mac]

I should be most interested to find out where. That anecdote comes from a Horan article, reproduced on page 314 of Mr Haigh's Ashes Anecdotes.

Did you know that Tom Richardson was also highly superstitious?

Did not know that of TR

The book titile will come to me

 

[neville cardus]

Did not know that of TR

If his run-up was not perfectly smooth, he would lose all confidence and his bowling would go tatters. He would concentrate everything on his approach to the wicket instead of simply getting the ball to the other end.

Do you reckon that I am right about the Spofforth farrago? I have encountered conflicting opinions before on that.