One hundred years ago today ...

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... Dr William Gilbert Grace died. Possibly the first modern sporting superstar, probably the greatest all-rounder in the history of cricket, and the man whose "financial opportunism" made the Ashes what it is. Equally at home in the bookmakers' tent as at the wicket, he could have written the book on how to win cricket matches without actually playing cricket. A wonderful batsman, a deadly bowler of right-arm medium pace, and a practitioner of the Art of Gamesmanship beyond all parallel. He once had to leave the wicket to attend one of his female patients in childbirth. He returned the following morning to resume his innings, and when asked how the birth had gone, answered that he had "lost the mother and child, but had just managed to save the father ..."

... and no, I never saw him play.

[ano hibby]

Few years back read a book about him. Was a great read of a fascinating character as you imply Doddie