New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-03
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SOME OF TIE FAMOUS ENGLISH PLAYERS
rnnM An ocC As1ONAL CoRREsrONpkNI OF TnE Tribune

SOME OF TIE FAMOUS ENGLISH PLAYERS
IRON An occ AsIoSAL connrsro>DkNT OF THE TRIBUNE
London. July 49,
While the unhappy baseball divides the
athletic world Of America into two hostile camps,
fine national game of England bowls merrily along.
more popular than ever before The recent en-
hibition of baseball by American players here UNI
doubtedly aroused much interest in that game,
and has. even led to the formation Of few
mines But for obSious reasons there is not
the faintest possibility of baseball ever rivalns
the popularity of cricket, or even approXimatnS
TO it, any more than of cricket supplanting base
hall in America The superb new pavilion 40
Lords u.s. | suppose, the finest grand stand In
the world II is more than mere pie OF seatS
Ii is o handsome and substantial structure OF
stone four stories high; complete CLUBHOUSE
for social and athletic purposes; and Win thou-
sands of well-arrangcd seats az the side ana on
the roof And thitber greater and more dstih-
gushcd throngs than ever before are repairing
this year. TO see the matches between the favorlte
clubs
The most eminent English cricketer Of the pres
cnt generation is Of course, William Grace, VI. ID.
He is also notable among players by the fact thar
he is the only English cricketer of prominence
who wears full whiskers and flowing Dearh.
The others almost universally wear only mus
taches, or arc smooth faced. \ few add tiny sids-
whiskers, reaching to the bottom OF the ear, OF
a little hit of goatee under the lower lip bur
fon. Of Middlcscx has full wbiskers, but clipped
so close as TO he scarcely diStinguishable. But
the gigantic Dr. Grace alone has his face adorned
with a patrarchal beard that hangs in wavy
masses almost to his waistband. Gigantic he
is both i'm skill and in stature. lie is. should
sy, considerably above six feet in height and
80 pounds in weight yet nimble as fairy.
Now at forty-three years old. with twenty-five
years Of playing behind him, he still holds
unchallengcd the championship that has popularity
been awarded to him since sixteen years ago.
DR.. Grace really seems 10 have been born
crckcter. Even while lad he spr7ng into the
front rank In the week in which he completed
his sixteenth year ne scored 40 runs and %
not outs for South Wales against the Gentlemen
Of Sussex, and that year his average in first
class matches was iifty-seven for each innings
At seventeen he'was chosen 10 play for the
Gentlemen of All England against Surrey and in
the following season he made 224, not ont, for
England against Surrey, and l73 for the Gentle
men against the Players of the South. In
famous contest in 1871 he completed thirty-five
innings and scored total of 2.739 runs, an aver
agc of 49, II Is generally considered, however,
that the year 1876 saw him at the height Of his
career. He made 400, not out, for the United
South against Twenty-Five of Grimsby and the
District, and in three successive innings COM
pctcd the enormous total of $50 runs and was
not out. Starting with 3f4 for the Maryle-
bone Club against Kent, on Friday and Satur-
day. he scored ~ for his county against Not
tinghamshre on the following Monday, and 3lS,
not ont, against Yorkshire on the Thursday and
Friday. In the great series Of games between
the Gentlemen" and the Players or. as Amer
leans would say. between amateurs and profes-
SIGNALS, be eleven occasions played innings OF
three figures; he alone exceeded 200 runs in a
single attempt and three times made over 100
in each Of two meetings al Lords aud the Oval.
The distance at which he stands from other play
erS past and present is sufficiently proved by the
fact that nobody else has played than two
innings of 90 each for the Gentlemen the Play
rrs ii further proof were needed, il would he
found in the unprecedented performances Of Mr..
Grace in three times playing two innings OF three
figures each III a single match. Add 70 all this
hrilliancy in fielding and his ability as a bowler
| and his claim 10 rank as the most remarkable
allround criclieter OF any age must ne absolutely
| unuucstOned The younger generation OF play
| crs admir- and applaud him; but they can hardly
| understand the terror he excited among opponents
| when approaching the height Of his fame. Within
q few years he completely rcvolurionzed cricket
I.lic was largely instrumental in overthrowng
champion counties: he deprived the Players OF
the superiority which for years they had enjoyed
over the Gentlemen; mainly through his efforts
She representatives of the South were enabled
TO triumph over the North: and with his femous
brothers. he raised Worcestershire from insgnit-
canoe 10 the foremost position in the erie lct world.
The story is told that as DIR. Grace and
Johnny" Briggs were walking ont from the pa
vilon NJ Lords one day to take their stand 40
The wiocts, small child remarked 70 its father,
" Pa, who's that hig man. That's DR.. Grace,
my dear. - answered The fond parent And who
Is the little man? ," continued the infant. Oh,
that's Briggs" And j. Briggs DR. Grace's baby ~
said the youthful inquirer johnny Briggs is
physically rs near dwarf as DR. Grace is rear
giant. But after DR.. Grace he is one Of The FORE
most cricketerS OF England lie is quict-loolling
little man. with a round. chubby face and little
bit y mustache. But his slow. eft-hand bowl
ing abounds in the most effective curves. as
baseball crank would say. and he is brilliant
and powerful batSman. Bat the finest professional
batsman in England is Shrewsbury, Of the Not
tngham Club. His style is most finished and
there is no one who Is so sure for runs as he.
Gum, Of Nottingham. is the next hest batsmap
and perhaps the best fielder in England.