A MEMORIAL BIOGRAPHY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18237, 27 October 1919, Page 10

A MEMORIAL BIOGRAPHY.

THE “ G.Q.M.” OF CRICKET. Reviewing “The Memorial Biography of Dr W. G. Grace,” issued by the committee of the M-C.C., Mas Pemberton writes as follows: This is a very remarkable tribute to the greatest cricketer of all time, and in its way it is Boswellian. There can: be few accomplished players of the last thirty years who have not contributed to its pages, and of these there is none who does not bear willing witness to the faith which is in him. As tho Catholic Church says of each individual bishop who dies, “ there was nono like unto him,” eo do these players cry with one voice, “ there was pone like unto the ‘Old Man’”—no such figure seen before or since upon the fields of youth or of age—none who could contest ins pnde oi place. So we have this band of staunch friends fallen in under tho zealous captaincy of Sir Home Gordon ; and hero is the M.C.C., to whose coat the Old Alan so long did honour, fathering this l.terary memorial- From many mouths the witness comes. A canon of High Anglican tendencies writes as cheerfully as a "pro” who bowled the Doctor out. The House of . Lords troops out to the village green. Tho humble sharo ink with the mighty in a bond of fellowship as true as steel. Nor is there any need for them to tell us that “ ha was a man ”—for we of the middle

life knew it -almost before we were at our books* ,

Few figures, perchance, loomed up from the mists of time so soon and so surely as that of the Gloucestersntre doctor did for. the schoolboys of tnirty and forty years ago- Driving a few, years ago through the village of Downend, near Bristol, they pointed out to me the orchard in which the Old Alan and his four brothers learned cricket, chiefly from a venerable mother whose knowledge of the national game was astonishing. As I looked upon it a memory oi the year 1870 came to me—the year when France was overrun by the Huh and our illustrated papers showed us nothing but woodout? of dashing Uhlana and guns going at a gallop. Dr Grace had then been playing cricket for nve years publicly, and we at school had heard his name and thought more of him than of any Emperor who ever dictated an impossible peace. Thereafter the word “cricket” suggested his name first and gave visions which the years could not change. We would see, in fancy, the green. sward and the ring of people about it; tho pavilion, the great, burly, bladebearded figure emerging therefrom; wo heard the plaudits of the crowd; tho click of the well-hit ball; we said, “Dr Grace is in” and our hearts thrilled. The sentiment endured, and. many a man of fifty experienced the same thrill afterwards when opportunity took him to Lord’s. Would tho Old Man come off? Well, if he did not we knew that he would still tower above tho game like some gigantic figure of a victory unwmged. : _ Dr Grace was before the ..cricketing public from the year 1865 until 1905. It is computed that he made 80.WO runs and took 7000 wickets. His notable innings included 126 centuries. He made more than 200 runs in ~an innings upon six occasions; more than 250 upon four occasions; and three times he exceeded the’ total of- 300- lie made three separate hundreds in succession upon five occasions, and in minor cricket he made 91 centuries and once scored exactly 400 runs in, art innings.

These statistics, however, were even less eloquent than the personality of the man. He knew the game, it may be that he loved it as no other who played it has ever done. It was Ins whole life while he was upon the field, yet he could turn as readily to other sports, run and shoot and play bowls, w’th the best,, and end, ns we know, a goFer of no mean achievement. For half a century he stood! for alt that was typical of us as a game-play-ing nation —a majestic figure to lead U s_the big man with the child's heart whom other men loved. This memorial is worthy of him, alike in the diversity of its tribute and the remitstions of those who have gathered together *o gladly to do horn our to.the “Old Man.”