FEATS OF W. C. GRACE RECALLED

Chronicle (Levin), 13 April 1946, Page 6

FEATS OF W. C. GRACE RECALLED

PEESENT-DAY CRICKETERS UNDER PIRE. t In a eaustic letter to the Sydnoy Morning Herald, Neville Cardus, noted English crieket writer, has a tilt at pre-sent-day cricketers. He writes: "In view of the lameniations at the prescnt time from cricketers who complain they are novvjulays overworlced on the field, and that they lind batting and bowliug and all-round plav too heavy a strain upon the fi'ail frames of children slill only in their twenties — in view of tliese appeals to our more charitable emotions perhaps the following liistorieal facts will be re-read with especial interest. "At the age of 18 W. G. Grace seored 224 not out for England v. Surrey, then asked liis captain for temporary leave from tlie match while he dashed away to Ihe Crystal I'alace to win a quarter of a mile hurdle race. "When Grace was in his 47th vear Gloucestershire arrived at Gravesend to play Kent and Ivent won the toss. Grace lielded while they amassed 470, and went in first for Gloucestershire and was tenth out for 257; then, after Ivent liad been put out in their second innings for 70, he hit off in an hour, 73 of j the 103 needed for a great victory. He was on the field from beginning to end of the match, every ball. "Tlie Old Man — the Grand Old Man'! "If Keith Miller, O'Keilly, Lindwall j (Aufitraliau first-class cricketers) and j others were English professional crick- j etcrs they would be expected to bowl l at least * 1000 overs during a fourmonths ' season — as well as be ready for j tours overseas at the end of it. "George Hirst, of Yorkshire, a bow- j ler not exactlv slow (!), with a vigorous bount'ing action, thought nothing oi scoring 2000 runs and takiug nearly 200 wickets betwcen May and August; in 1906 his record was 2170 runs and 203 wickets. His position in the field, where I he had no superior, was in tliosc davs j the most arduous of all — mid-off. "Other times, other maniiers — not to say other men! " Cardus' commentary evolced, not only a spirited controversy among letterwriters and a leaderelte in tlie Sydney. Morning Herald: — Australian Reply "It is a melancholy commentary on ihe post-vvar world that 'operational I'uligue' has invaded the field of spor't," it stated. "Crieket has travolled a long way from its leisurely rule of the village green. Today its exhausted champions have no time to seek Ihe solace of the village inn, or its degenerate suceessor, before they are whisked away in an aeroplane to ancther arena, under the harsh compulsion of endless repeat performances. Small wonder.that they are tired. They are liol alone in this. "Play has become a serious matter for evervbody; the occupation of our non-working hours a fit subject for controversial debate. The deliglits of mere idleness are so firraly proscribed by the dotermined apostles of planned leisure, that a lazy afternoon with a book or oue 's thouglits has taken on the cLaracter of a dangerous heresy. "Whether we like it or not, honour demands a strenuous appearance on the plaving fields, which may be fairly qmtted only in a state of relative pros-. tration. The only legitimate alternative is to swelter in the sun or drip in the rain watching other weary gladiators act, for a eonsideration, as our proxies. "No doubt it will come to the point when games are regulated by industriai awards and the harried seeker after relaxation can take refuge in a strike against ovcrplay. "