WG Grace’s Special Day
Today, July 18th, is the anniversary of the birth of London County’s Founder, Dr WG Grace.
If he were alive, he would have been 163 not out today. On his 56th birthday, he scored his final First-Class century (166) for London County v MCC, in 1904.
He was the first icon of Cricket, played in the first-ever Test in England (1880 at The Oval), scoring England’s first-ever Test century.
Grace was a walking first: first two triple-centuries in first-class cricket, in 1876, first to make 2000 first-class runs in a season (2739 in 1871), first to 1000 runs in May (1895), first to 50,000 first-class runs, first to 100 hundreds, first Test century in England, and first Englishman to make a century on debut. His other Test century came against the Aussies at The Oval too, (170 in 1886). Grace captained England in the last 13 of his 22 Tests.
This week, at Lord’s, the 2,00th Test is being played. Grace played in the match in which the Ashes were created (1882 at The Oval), and if he knew how big the contest would become, I imagine he would be amazed. It is one of the pillars of modern sport.
Remarkably, in keeping with our London County theme and the phenomenon of the number 166, July 18th is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, meaning that there are 166 days remaining until the end of the year!
Grace shares the birthday with Nelson Mandela, legendary Fast Bowler Dennis Lillee, former MCC President Hubert Doggart, Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Olympian David Hemery and Golfer Sir Nick Faldo.
On this day in 1896, Grace’s good, and fellow London County Cricketing Great, KS Ranjitsinhji, made a century on Test debut (154 not out) at Old Trafford for England against Australia.
In 2009, Henry Allingham died on this day. Allingham was the world’s oldest man at the time, and the only living person to have seen WG play Cricket. This was at The Oval., the scene of so many of Grace’s triumphs.
To celebrate London County Founder’s Day in 2011, we have a London County Colts fixture against Sussex Under 12′s at Blackstone.
I wonder if 166 will feature in the game today ?!
