W.G. Grace - the ‘Grace’ of the past - Part 2 - Opinion
Grace was a standout performer for Gloucester and the Marylebone Cricket Club, with a penchant to bat long and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Middlebrook-c1651 the bowlers out of the game. His defensive technique was robust and one for the Gods. He dished it out with such ease that his 251 half centuries
and 124 centuries, which include a couple of triple tons, would make stupendous reading even today. He was the best batsman in the world in first class cricket and his legacy would never be emulated by even some of the most arduous of adventurists. That in
itself is quite a shame in times when T20 cricket dominates.
Not many players have been blessed as much as W.G. Grace and it is astonishing to acknowledge that Grace was a man who witnessed extensive medical training which coincided with his status as a cricketer. He would often forgo the opportunity to be indoctrinated
with much needed medical prowess, just so that he could use his cricketing exploits to good effect when he was at the crease. Yet the fact that Grace got as far as he did can in part be attributed to the times that he used to play in, when one was at peace
with the classical surroundings, the satisfaction of playing cricket and using the bottom hand to good effect. To have those times come back is similar to expecting a Greyhound to win the London Derby, which is why many of the modern cricketers would have
to go a long way in cementing themselves as true legends.
Grace played in financially less savory times as compared to modern players, yet his retention of testimonials on his numerous tours in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 made him one of the richest players of his time as well. It has to be said that the 1880’s was a period when
even http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013’s middle class was earning no more than 1000 pounds a year. This stands in stark comparison to the burgeoning middle class of today which continues its surge up the financial ladder. For a man of Grace’s stature, those days were definitely suave
and heavenly.
His gentleman like behavior will also stand in stark contrast to sledging, verbal abuses, and dishing out against opponents in modern times. The brash player of today might consider that as a psychological advantage, but for a player such as Grace, verbal
abuse would be equated with committing blasphemy. He was an advocate against betting and whirling fortunes into the game and might have turned in his grave if he was to encounter match fixing, spot fixing and financial scandals of today. Brazen violations
of conduct are seen unabated in modern times, where the love of green supersedes ethics and morals of playing the gentleman’s game. In light of this, Grace’s advocacy seems to be the antidote for success in modern times, where players are often left at bay
over which corner they should draw inspiration from. Probabilities of betting were loathed at in the 18th century England, where the thought of it was considered as horrendous. Nowadays one witnesses an inflated wheel of fortune attached to any
high profile match, which everyone wants a slice of.
Legends of the past with their romantic appeal provide plenty of inspiration. For someone who is frustrated over the fanatical nature of modern day cricket, W.G. Grace would stand out as the best reference point in the history of the game.
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