W.G. Grace: Cricket ko awam ka khel banane wala doctor

Unneesvin sadi ke England mein Cricket ka ek chehra tha: lambi ghani darhi, bhari bharkam jism aur hath mein balla. Yeh W.G. Grace (W.G. Grace) the. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq un ki shakhsiyat ne batting ke andaz badal diye, Cricket ko aam logon tak pahunchaya aur use England ki garmiyon ka sab se bara tamashai khel bana diya. Test Cricket un ke career ke aakhri hisse mein shuru hui, phir bhi 22 Test matchon mein unhon ne 1098 runs aur 2 centuries banayin¹. Un ki asal azmat first class Cricket mein hai, jahan un ka career 44 season par phaila raha².

Ibtidai zindagi aur Cricket ka aghaz

William Gilbert Grace 18 July 1848 ko England ke shehar Bristol ke qareeb Downend mein paida hue. Unhein "W.G." aur "The Doctor" ke namon se pukara jata tha. Un ka gharana Cricket ka deewana tha: un ke bhai E.M. Grace aur G.F. Grace bhi cricketer the, aur un ke kai cousin, bete aur bhatije bhi is khel se wabasta rahe².

England mein domestic Cricket "county" teamon ke darmiyan kheli jati hai, yaani mukhtalif ilaqon ki numainda teamein. Grace zyada tar Gloucestershire county ki taraf se khele, aur Gentlemen, MCC aur London County ki numainda bhi ki. Un ka first class career 1865 se 1908 tak raha².

Cricket ke sath sath unhon ne tib ki Taleem bhi hasil ki. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq Cricket ki wajah se un ki Taleem bar bar rukti rahi, aur aakhirkar unhon ne London ke Westminster Hospital se doctori ki sanad hasil ki².

First class Cricket ke hairat angez karnamay

Grace ke daur mein Test match bohat kam hote the, is liye un ka asal record first class Cricket mein milta hai. Wisden Almanack mein 1988 mein shaya hone wale Geoffrey Moorhouse (Geoffrey Moorhouse) ke mazmoon ke mutabiq unhon ne 44 season mein 54 hazar se zyada first class runs banaye; mazmoon nigar likhte hain ke is ke durust adad ke kam az kam do mukhtalif hisab maujood hain. Isi mazmoon ke mutabiq 1876 mein sirf aath dinon mein unhon ne 839 runs banaye jin mein do triple centuries shamil thin, 1895 mein, jab un ki umar 47 baras hone ko thi, May ke ek hi mahine mein hazar runs mukammal kiye, aur bowling mein 2800 se zyada wickets 18 runs fi wicket se kam average par hasil kin².

Isi mazmoon mein un ki jawani ka ek dilchasp waqia bhi darj hai: 18 baras ki umar mein unhon ne Surrey (Surrey) ke khilaf "England" ki team ki taraf se 224 runs not out banaye, aur match ke beech mein hi Crystal Palace ja kar rukawaton wali chauthai meel ki daur jeet aaye. Mazmoon nigar ke mutabiq us zamane ki na-hamwar pitchon ko dekhte hue un ki batting aur bhi hairan kun thi².

Un ka ek record kai dahaiyon tak qaim raha: first class Cricket mein 126 centuries. Yeh record 1925 mein Jack Hobbs (Jack Hobbs) ne tora. Dilchasp baat yeh hai ke 1905 mein Hobbs ke pehle first class match mein mukhalif team ke captain Grace hi the, aur unhon ne naujawan Hobbs ko dekh kar kaha tha ke yeh larka accha khilari banega⁴.

Test Cricket

Grace ke tamam 22 Test match Australia ke khilaf the. Un ka Test career 6 September 1880 ko London ke Oval ground par shuru hua, jab woh 32 baras ke the. Apni pehli hi Test innings mein unhon ne opener ke taur par 251 minute batting ki aur 12 chaukon ki madad se 152 runs banaye; doosri innings mein woh 9 runs par not out rahe. Isi match mein unhon ne pehli innings mein ek aur doosri innings mein do wickets bhi lein¹.

Un ki sab se bari Test innings 12 August 1886 ko Oval hi mein aayi, jab unhon ne 270 minute mein 24 chaukon ki madad se 170 runs banaye. 1888 se woh England ke captain bhi rahe aur 13 Test matchon mein team ki qiyadat ki. July 1890 mein Lord’s mein unhon ne chauthi innings mein 75 runs not out banaye¹.

1891-92 mein unhon ne Australia ka daura kiya aur wahan teen Test khele, jin mein Melbourne mein 50 aur Adelaide mein 58 runs un ki numayan innings thin. Baad mein Oval mein 1893 mein 68 aur Lord’s mein 1896 mein 66 runs banaye. Jin Test matchon mein England jeeta, un mein un ki batting average 43.35 rahi¹.

Un ka aakhri Test yakum June 1899 ko Nottingham mein shuru hua, jis mein unhon ne 28 aur 1 run banaye¹. Wisden ke mazmoon ke mutabiq woh pachas baras ki umar mein bhi England ke liye opening kar rahe the².

Adad o shumar

Maakhaz: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹, adad International career ke hain.

Asar aur yaadgar

Grace ki ahmiyat un ke adad se barh kar hai. Wisden ke mazmoon ke mutabiq un ki ghair mamooli batting ne Cricket ko unneesvin sadi ke bohat se khelon mein se ek khel ke darje se utha kar pehle England aur phir duniya ke kai mulkon mein garmiyon ka sab se bara tamashai khel bana diya. Mazmoon nigar yeh bhi likhte hain ke Grace shayad wahid shakhs hain jinhein khel se dilchaspi na rakhne wale log bhi sirf un ke naam ke do huroof "W.G." se pehchan lete hain².

ESPNcricinfo ke Bradman wale mazmoon mein bhi kaha gaya hai ke khel ke ibtidai daur mein sirf Grace hi aise khilari the jin ka maqam Bradman ke kisi had tak qareeb tha⁵.

23 October 1915 ko Kent ke ilaqe Mottingham mein un ka inteqal hua². 2009 mein ICC ne unhein Cricket Hall of Fame mein shamil kiya³. Jadeed Cricket ki bunyadein jin logon ne rakhin, un mein W.G. Grace ka naam sab se pehle liya jata hai.