Burns' Eye View

Today, July 18th , is the anniversary of the birth of WG Grace, ‘The Great Cricketer’, and the original founder of London County.

His remarkable deeds with Gloucestershire, and England, plus the other teams he represented with distinction such as ‘The Gentlemen’ in the annual ‘Gentlemen versus Players’ fixture made him Cricket’s first icon. His quality and longevity ensured that his name has been synonomous with the game right up to the present day. The naming of ‘The Grace Gates’ at Lord’s, has meant that every young cricketer who enters ‘the Home of Cricket’ has the opportunity to develop a curiosity about his career and life, which made him one of the most famous people in history.

One hundred and six years ago, On 18th July 1904, WG Grace scored his 126th and final First-Class century when making 166 for London County v MCC on his 56th birthday.

Today, if he were alive, he would be 162 not out.

Grace was a pioneer Cricketer and his legacy is such that his records of achievement appear greater as each decade passes, and fewer players are able to contemplate his remarkable levels of performance, let alone surpass them.

He invented back foot play and had a big appetite for dominating play. He is renown for his number of ‘firsts’, including England’s first ever Test century (1880) and the first Test century on debut; the first two First-Class triple centuries; first to 1,000 runs in a season in May; first batsman ever to make 2,000 runs in a season; first to 100 First-Class centuries; and a truly great ‘all-rounder’ who regularly did ‘the double’ of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season.

He was ‘The Great Cricketer’.

A fine bowler's spell is complete

On Monday, I was privileged to attend the memorial service at Southwark Cathedral to celebrate the life of Sir Alec Bedser. Many of the great and good of Surrey and English Cricket were present to pay their final respects to a giant of the game.

MCC President John Barclay opened with a reading about Lord’s from ‘English Cricket’, by the late and legendary cricket writer, Neville Cardus:
‘This is the Mecca of Cricket, and wherever a lover of the game may be he should turn his thoughts towards Lord’s at the end of a summer day – at half past six possibly, when the deep velvet shadow has been thrown by the pavilion across the grass, and the last ball has been bowled, and the players are coming from the field, and the ground boys are putting the ropes round the pitch, while a few of the crowd group themselves in silent wonder as they look at the bruised earth where until a minute ago their heroes thundered away with fast off-breaks and square cuts. The long day’s end, yet there is never any one moment at Lord’s at close of play when you can say that the crowd has gone home; for long after a general vacancy has come over the scene, and long after the seats and the enclosures and the Mound Stand have become depopulated, that long after the last flash of white flannels has vanished, and even after the solitary writer high up in the Press Box, more dilatory than his colleagues, has departed, one or two intimate figures will be seen sitting in the westering sunshine, reluctant to return to the world. And, in the stately Long Room, the old historical pictures hang on the walls like mirrors that have not only reflected but captured and fixed into eternal attitudes all the cricketers and cricket matches that have not only reflected but captured and fixed into eternal attitudes all the cricketers and cricket matches that have ever been looked at through the pavilion’s great windows; and even already the game that we have watched this very afternoon is mingling with the accumulated store of all the cricket Lord’s has ever seen.’

Legendary Surrey man, Micky Stewart (former Championship winning Captain, Cricket Manager, President, Test batsman, England’s first-ever Cricket Manager, and father of England’s most-capped Test cricketer Alec Stewart), gave the first address, capturing the mood and the man superbly. He shared his thoughts on the impact Sir Alec had on him early in his career, as a young player who broke into the Surrey team in the 1950’s during the period of the south London club’s seven successive County Championship wins. Micky highlighted how Alec and his twin brother Eric had been incredibly tough on each other but also amazingly supportive at the same time. The Bedsers’ commitment to Surrey Cricket knew no bounds.

Former Australian left-handed opening batsman Arthur Morris, (who said he became ‘Bedser’s Bunny’ in Ashes Series) spoke next. His youthfulness of spirit belied his 88 years. An outstanding player, Morris made unprecedented twin centuries on his First-Class debut as an 18 year old for New South Wales. He was the most successful batsman on Australia’s 1948 Tour to England when the all-conquering team became known as ‘The Invincibles’. Morris made 196 in the final Test at The Oval, and was at the other end when Sir Don Bradman made nought (bowled by Eric Hollies) in his final Test innings before retiring with a Test batting average of 99.94. Four runs in his last innings would have enabled Bradman to average 100.

The depth of friendship and mutual respect Alec and his tough opponent enjoyed emanated from Arthur’s wonderful speech. His charm, wit, modesty and sincerity, underlined his gravitas, and supported his reputation as one of the game’s great men. We were witnessing a great cricketer paying a heartfelt tribute to a revered opponent and long-term friend. He re-iterated what a special friendship Alec had enjoyed with Sir Donald Bradman, and also shared the high esteem in which both Bradman, and all Australian cricketers held the Surrey great in, both as a cricketer and as a man.

Sir John Major gave the final address and began with a brilliant line about how, even in his wildest dreams, he could never have envisaged batting at number three behind Micky Stewart and the great Arthur Morris! As a young boy, John Major said how much fun he had watching Bedser and his all-conquering Surrey team-mates during the club’s glory years from ‘the cheap seats’ at The Oval. How times have changed!  The young John Major went on to become the Prime Minister, and a close friend of Sir Alec, and the Committee Room, (rather than ‘the cheap seats’) became the ’space’ for their regular conversations about the game of cricket, which held a special place in each man’s heart.

Former Worcestershire CCC Chief Executive, the Prebendary Mike Vockins, then read ‘The Cricketers Prayer’ :
‘Lord, grant that when the last over has been bowled , the final run made, and the stumps are drawn at the close of play, may we know for sure that it mattered not most who won, or lost, but just how the game was played. And as we turn from the field, help us to know we gave of our best, and with deep peace and great joy make our way to our eternal home. Amen’

After the service, we retired to The Oval to share some more wonderful conversation about one of England’s greatest cricketers and one of Surrey’s favorite sons. Personally, I feel privileged to have known him and grateful for the professional insight he was generous enough to share with me about the game, which I am able to pass on to future generations of cricketers through my coaching and mentoring work.

Sir Alec Bedser’s legacy will live on forever. The Bedser Stand at The Oval will remember a man from a modest background, who combined great achievement with humility and an unfussy manner. His capacity for hard work and self-reliance was matched only by his brutal honesty and unswerving loyalty.