W G Grace

W G GRACE d1915. English amateur cricketer whose nicknames included ; W G / The Doctor and The Champion. He was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest ever players. He was one of the most famous men in England, but was also one of the most controversial on account of his gamesmanship and moneymaking. He played first-class cricket for a record-equalling 44 seasons between 1865 to 1908, during which he captained ; England / Gloucestershire / the Gentlemen / Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) / the United South of England Eleven (USEE) and several other teams. His career statistics ; (22 Test Matches scoring 1,098 runs) / (870 First Class Innings scoring 54,211 runs) / (9 Test Wickets) / (2809 First Class Wickets with 876 First Class catches). Despite his age and bulk, he continued to play minor cricket for several years after his retirement from the first-class version. His penultimate match (and the last in which he batted) was for Eltham Cricket Club on 25th July 1914 a week after his 66th birthday. He contributed an undefeated 69 to a total of 155–6 declared. He died at Mottingham aged 67 on 23rd October 1915 after suffering a heart attack