(�`�._.�[��V��]�._.���) GILLY THE GENTLEMAN AND HOW THE ASHES BEGAN

[KKAVYAA NANDA]

*Test matches in the Nineteenth Century* in the period 1877 to 1883 were
organised somewhat differently from international
cricket<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket>matches today. The teams
involved were rarely fully representative, and the 48-day
boat trip between Australia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia> and
England <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England> was one that many
cricketers<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket>were not able or
willing to undertake. As such the home teams usually
enjoyed a great selection advantage.
Thirteen test matches <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_cricket> were
played in this period (1877–1883) and all were between Australian and
English sides. However most of the games were not styled as national
representative "England v. Australia" matches; this description was applied
later by cricket statisticians. This is also true of the designation of
these games as "Test matches <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_cricket>" -
the term "Test match" did not enter into the
vernacular<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernacular>until 1885. Eleven
of the thirteen matches played to 1883 were in Australia,
which made the most of its home advantage by winning seven, while England
won four and two were drawn.
By 1883, the tradition of England-Australia tours was well established, with
that year bringing the first Ashes
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes>series. In 1882
England <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_cricket_team> lost at home for
the first time, and, in a mock obituary, *The Sporting Times* lamented the
death of English cricket and noted that 'the body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Australia'. Later in 1882, the Honourable Ivo
Bligh<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honourable_Ivo_Bligh>led a team to
Australia to recover these Ashes. After a three-match series,
a group of Melburnian ladies presented Bligh with an urn with some ashes in
them <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes>, and that became the trophy
for which England and Australia continue to fight to this day.

[image: The image
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Pic7811.jpg"; cannot be
displayed, because it contains errors.]
The legendary WG Grace <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WG_Grace>, who played
Test cricket until he was aged 50.

*William Gilbert Grace* (18 July
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_18>
1848<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1848>– 23
October <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_23>
1915<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915>)
was an English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England>
cricketer<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket>who, by his
extraordinary skills, made
cricket <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket> a popular spectator sport,
and who developed most of the techniques of modern batting.
He was often referred to in print by his initials, and "W.G." became
something of a sobriquet <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobriquet> for him.
To his family, he was generally known as
Gilly[1]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WG_Grace#_note-0>






Not this Gilly:
[image:
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/08/11/knGILCHRIST_narrowweb__300x373,0.jpg]–
but Gilby, Willy and
William[2]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WG_Grace#_note-1>are also said
to have been used. (His mother is described as admonishing
him, after he had been dismissed playing a poor shot: "*How* many times,
Gilbert, have I *told* you how to play that ball?") He was also known in his
later career as "The Doctor", "The Old Man" (although this came about when
he was still in his early thirties) and, most auspiciously, "The Champion"
[3] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WG_Grace#_note-2>.

[image: The image
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Wg_grace.jpg"; cannot be
displayed, because it contains errors.]
W. G. Grace, 1877 illustration by Leslie
Ward<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Ward>

[image: The image
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Dr_WG_Grace_in_1885.jpg";
cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.]
Dr W. G. (Old Man Gilly) Grace in 1885.
In first-class matches Grace's highest score was 344, made for the MCC v
Kent <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County_Cricket_Club> at Canterbury
in August 1876


[image: The image
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/WG_Grace_and_Billy_Murdoch.jpg";
cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.]
Grace and Australian Billy Murdoch<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Murdoch>


Double centuries Grace made over 200 runs on ten occasions, the most notable
perhaps being in 1871, when he performed the feat twice, each time in
benefit matches, and each time in the second innings, having been each time
got out in the first over of the first innings. Against Middlesex, he
carried his bat for 221, and sat up the whole night in between beside the
bed of a patient.
 Centuries Grace scored over 100 runs on 126 occasions.

[image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/W_G_Grace_and_Bobby_Abel.png]

*Entr'acte* cartoon: *Bobby Abel, to W. G.:—"Look here, we players intend to
be sufficiently paid, as w**ell as the so-called gentlemen!"

*Personal information  *Full name* William Gilbert Grace  *Nicknames* The
Doctor, WG, The Champion, The Old Man, Gilly, The Big 'Un, The Leviathan  *
Born* 18 July <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_18>
1848<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1848>
(1848-07-18)
Downend, South 
Gloucestershire<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downend%2C_South_Gloucestershire>,
England <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England>  *Died* 23
October<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_23>
1915 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915> (aged 67)
Mottingham <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottingham>,
Kent<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent>,
England <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England>  *Role* All-rounder  *Batting
style* Right-handed  *Bowling style* Right-arm
roundarm<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundarm_bowling>
medium <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_pace_bowling>  International
information  *Test debut*
(cap<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_England_Test_cricketers>24)
6
September <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_6>
1880<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1880>
: v Australia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_cricket_team>  *Last
Test* 1 June <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1>
1899<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1899>
: v Australia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_cricket_team>  Domestic
team information  *Years* *Team*  1900-1904 London
County<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_County_Cricket_Club>
1869-1904 MCC <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marylebone_Cricket_Club>
1870-1899 
Gloucestershire<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloucestershire_County_Cricket_Club>
1877 Kent <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County_Cricket_Club>  *Career
statistics*
*Tests <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_matches>*
*FC<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-class_cricket>
*  *Matches* 22 880  *Runs scored* 1,098 54,896  *Batting
average<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batting_average>
* 32.29 39.55  *100s/50s* 2/5 126/254  *Top score* 170 344
 *Balls <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delivery_%28cricket%29> bowled* 666
124,831  *Wickets <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicket>* 9 2,876  *Bowling
average <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_average>* 26.22 17.92  *5
wickets in innings <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innings>* 0 240  *10
wickets in match* 0 64  *Best bowling* 2/12 10/49
*Catches/stumpings<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stump_%28cricket%29#Manner_of_dismissing_a_batsman>
* 39/- 876/5
*
*There are several unconfirmed stories regarding Grace. The most popular
holds that Grace was bowled out on the first ball of a charity match, but
continued to play, exclaiming "They came to see me bat, not to see you
umpire". Essentially the same story is told of Harry
Jupp<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Jupp>(although it is more
easily verifiable with him, as eye-witness Lord Harris
relates the story in his autobiography).


[image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/W._G._Grace_grave.jpg]
W. G. Grace's grave in Beckenham
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beckenham>cemetery