Highest Runs in First-Class Cricket: W.G. Grace

Originally, cricket was not a widespread game like it is today. Originating in England, it was reserved only for the elite and was played between professionals and amateurs. The dynamics of the cricket game were largely different since the amateurs would be the bowlers, and the professionals would be the batters. It is how the teams would be made, and there was little value given to the bowlers. 

But, then, Sir William Gilbert Grace or W. G. Grace, also known as the father of cricket, altered the course of cricket. He made cricket into what it is today! Fun88 has crafted a descriptive guidebook on W. G. Grace’s life, career, and how he built cricket from the ground up. 

William Gilbert Grace

William Gilbert Grace, the father of cricket, was a recognised player from England. Grace was a right-handed all-rounder player. His international cricket career started in 1880 and ended in 1899, wherein he served for 19 glorious years. W. G. Grace was also a domestic game giant who had marked his career for 43 years and played 44 first-class seasons. Grace showcased his versatility as an all-rounder, contributing both with the bat and ball. He played cricket until he reached 60, and until then, he had an unbelievable and magical experience in making the sport grow.

Facts About W.G. Grace

Why is W. G. Grace the Father of First-Class County Cricket?

Sir William Gilbert Grace had been a cricket player when the sport was in its introductory phase and was not considered a global phenomenon. Due to his early beginning in the sport, he is the father of cricket, remembered for his lifelong contribution. Even though William Grace had been an all-rounder, his bowling skills were particularly impressive, on par with his batting skills while playing for England. 

Grace’s career mostly consisted of first-class cricket seasons, but he was a one-man army for his team with his bowling temperament and unique batting technique. W. G. Grace also deeply understands cricket since he was the captain of most of the games he played. He is also recognised as the pioneer of modern batting styles.

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W. G. Grace’s First Class Cricket Career

W. G. Grace’s career was littered with controversies over his stats and playing style. He played from 1865 to 1908 and made unbelievably remarkable 54,000 first-class runs across 870 matches. He played both internationally and in 28 different domestic teams.

The WG grace made an average of 40 runs, with 251 domestic half-tons and 124 tons. It is one example of Grace’s incredible stats that have stumped experts repeatedly. Furthermore, W. G. Grace made 839 runs in 8 days during 1876, including a hundred and 2 triple centuries. He also had 344 as his highest individual score during this period.

William Gilbert Grace’s popularity during this time also rose since he made thousands of runs in the complete season when he was 47 in 1895. He did this at an age when most cricketers settle into a happy retired life, but he dominated with his bowling skills by taking more than 2800 wickets in his career. He also made an average of approximately 18 with a 2.45 economy in his first-class career. 

W. G. Grace also bowled approximately one lakh and twenty-five thousand deliveries in his career. His best bowling performance had been in a match where he leaked 49 runs and took 10 wickets. He also took 249 five-wicket and 64 ten-wicket hauls in 870 matches. Overall, Grace has some of the most jaw-dropping stats that are incredibly impressive and have added to his reputation as the father of cricket.

W.G. Grace Career Stats and Records

W. G. Grace’s cricket career is made of his amazing statistics and records that are unparalleled in several ways. Find out his most exceptional stats from the tables below.

International Stats: Bowling

International Stats: Batting

First-Class Stats: Bowling

First-Class Stats: Batting

WG Grace Records

• W. G. Grace played cricket for 44 years.
• He scored the 5th highest number of runs in his first-class cricket.
• He played around 870 first-class matches, the 2nd highest number anyone ever achieved.
• Grace hit 54 first-class tons between 1868 and 1876. 
• His bowling average was 18.17, and his batting average was 39.45. 
• William Gilbert Grace also took 1174 first-class wickets in the 1870s decade. 
• The first player in cricket to reach 100 centuries and hit a century ton by making 288.

Building Cricket  

William Gilbert Grace fathered cricket from the bottom up and oversaw the creation of several rules and regulations that tied the game together in its origination. It is the primary reason why he is called the father of first class cricket. Grace was an astute believer that a cricketer has to be nurtured to comprehend the techniques and ethics of the game and that no one is a born cricketer. 

W. G. Grace also believed that cricket must be played to enjoy instead of making it rambunctious and wild. His memorable instances of sportsmanship and tactics impressed the Australians and the military men. Even Colonel Frank Cozier had complimented him on his skill as a batter. 

Grace was known both for his bowling and batting, where he delivered the pace of the ball with a round arm action. He stumped the crowds with the length he used to drop his bowl. He could bowl for hours with consistent accuracy. He did not always bowl with the same style. In his initial career, he began bowling at a medium pace but later changed to slower bowling with leg breaks. He called this bowling style a “leg-tweaker.” 

W. G. Grace played for several cricket teams, including Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the governing body of cricket before ICC. The influential club motivated Grace to play for London County and Gloucestershire. Sir William Grace also debuted in 1880 against Australia and wrapped up his test cricket career in 1889.

William Gilbert Grace was an exceptional batter and bowler and a terrific fielder. His athleticism shined out even outside cricket when he won the 440-yard hurdling title in 1866 at the Crystal Palace for the National Olympian Games. Grace also dabbled in football game for some time and was interested in golf later in life. 

Personal Life of W. G. Grace

William Gilbert Grace, was born near Bristol, England, and married Agnes Nicholls Day on 9 October 1873. Apart from being a cricket player, he was popularly known as a doctor. He has experience as a fine medical practitioner. In 1879, Grace got his diploma as a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians from the University of Edinburgh and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Even though Grace is known for his contribution to cricket, he was not the only one from his family to play the sport. At least 13 direct relatives played cricket in the English first-class arena alongside W. G. Grace. His brothers Edward and Fred played with him for England and became the first men to do so. 

The William Gilbert Grace had a glorious life journey but was not without struggles. He lost his younger brother in 1880, and his father died when he was 23. More tragedy struck when he lost his daughter Bessie in 1898 and also his eldest son W. G. Junior seven years later in 1905. A few years later, Grace himself had a heart attack in Mottingham aged 67 years in 1915, from which he could not recover. He had a memorable life and gave cricket everything when he was lastly buried in his family grave in Beckenham Cemetery, Kent. 

William Gilbert Grace’s life was extraordinary, and the cricket left behind a legacy. He initiated the passion for cricket and made this sport understood by its spectators. Grace helped the game grow by implementing the right techniques and playing the sport at the best level, where it has survived all challenges and exists even now.

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