How do you rate W.G. Grace?

[zaremba]

Australians are the least cheat-y of all the cricket nations, imo.

Not an unreasonable opinion, but today's disgraceful performance (from Bancroft and what Smith has called the "leadership team" among the players) might lead some to a different view...

 

[zaremba]

To those that think of W.G. as a fat old man with a metre long beard, these photos might come as a bit of a surprise...

Here is W.G. in 1863, aged about 15 (No, not the one you think, actually the young chap marked 12):

In the picture below, W.G. is the youngster at the extreme left in the white cap with just the beginnings of a small beard. This photo is from 1867 and W.G. would have been 18 or 19 at the time:

W.G. in 1869, aged 21:

Here is W.G. in 1872, aged 24:

So a fairly impressive beard for a 24 year old, but not quite as pronounced as the popular image of later years.

Here is W.G. in 1874, aged 25 or 26:

Great work. We tend to think of him as a fat old man - because of a combination of his extraordinary longevity and the limited use of photography when he was in his prime.

 

[zaremba]

I've posted this about a dozen times before, and I'll post it again in the future.

In the 1871 season:
- 17 centuries were scored. WG got 10 of them.
- WG averaged 78.25 - the next best was 39.57.

Mind-blowing.

 

[Larwood's_boots]

Can anyone recommend any really good books about WG? Market seems to be flooded with poorly received ones, always wanted to read a full and comprehensive biography.

 

[fredfertang]

The one by Simon Rae is a good one, as is Richard Tomlinson's - I think we've reviewed them both if you check out the Book Review section of the site

 

[Larwood's_boots]

The one by Simon Rae is a good one, as is Richard Tomlinson's - I think we've reviewed them both if you check out the Book Review section of the site

Didn't know there was a book review section, huge thanks for drawing my attention to it. Always seemed odd to me that I'd read more about jack Iverson than WG Grace

 

[zaremba]

The one by Simon Rae is a good one, as is Richard Tomlinson's - I think we've reviewed them both if you check out the Book Review section of the site

Which of these two would you recommend we go to first, fred?

 

[fredfertang]

The Rae one, without a doubt - it's the definitive article, which is why Tomlinson faced an impossible task - one he did very entertainingly though, with some interesting revisionist ideas, but you'd have to be a bit of a saddo (like me) to want to read them both

 

[Days of Grace]

I have the Simon Rae book and I highly recommend it. Very detailed and puts you in the Victorian era.

 

[AndrewB]

I've posted this about a dozen times before, and I'll post it again in the future.

In the 1871 season:
- 17 centuries were scored. WG got 10 of them.
- WG averaged 78.25 - the next best was 39.57.

Mind-blowing.

In a run of 10 matches in 1874, he scored 996 runs at 76.61 (6 hundreds, 2 fifties) and took 101 wickets at 12.04 (8 x 10wM, 13 x 5wI).

 

[zaremba]

In a run of 10 matches in 1874, he scored 996 runs at 76.61 (6 hundreds, 2 fifties) and took 101 wickets at 12.04 (8 x 10wM, 13 x 5wI).

I didn't know that. That is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Really? So give some examples of Australians cheating in cricket.

Oooops

 

[Larwood's_boots]

Oooops

 

[Daemon]

Oooops

The funny thing was how it prompted a barrage of videos showing the Australians cheating (or at least the next worst thing)