The title father of cricket is most commonly associated with William Gilbert Grace, a 19th Century English cricketer.
Grace, birthdate 1848, contributed immensely to cricket's rise as a major sport. His innovation and ability changed the game in its entirety.
The Early Days of Cricket
Cricket has a long history with origins in England as far back as the 16th century, starting off as rather primitive play between children in the countryside. They would use sticks as bats and lumps of sheep wool and any flat stone as a ball. The wicket, or target, could have been something as simple as a tree stump or a gate.
Over the years it turned into a game that many adults played and it became organized. The first documented rules for cricket were produced in 1788 by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The documents established the rules of the game including the size of the bat and ball, pitch length, and modes of a batter getting out.
In Short, The Father of Cricket - William Gilbert Grace, also known as W.G. Grace, is popularly referred to as the father of cricket. Grace was born on July 18, 1848, in a small village land near Bristol, England.
He was born on July 18th, 1848, in a little village near Bristol, England. Grace was an excellent all-rounder who played for 44 years, from 1865 to 1908. He was a doctor by trade, but his life was cricket.
Why W.G. Grace is Called "The Father of Cricket"
Grace earned his famous title for several reasons. He wasn't just a terrific player - he changed the way cricket was played and how cricket was perceived.
Revolutionary Techniques: "The First" Father of Cricket
Grace brought techniques that were revolutionary in the context of the game, and are used today. He was one of the first players to employ a variety of strokes, including the forward defensive stroke.
Grace also helped to make the straight bat a mainstay of modern batting. His style of play incorporated aggression with defence and he was able to change his batting based on the state of the game. These methods proved him to be a true innovator.
A Long and Wonderful Career: "The Last" Father of Cricket
Grace's fearless career was remarkable for two reasons: its longevity; and his continuing ability to be consistently good for so long.
Grace played for over three decades, and as arguably the best player in the game throughout that whole period.
- First Class Matches: He played in more than 870 matches.
- Runs Scored: He scored more than 54,000 runs in First Class cricket.
- Centuries: He scored 124 centuries.
Wickets Taken: He took more than 2,800 wickets as a bowler. He was also a great leader, and he often captained his teams. Grace had even written several significant cricket books. He shared his immense cricket knowledge to help others learn more about the game.
Grace's influence is so significant, that companies like Kheloexch are still trying to analyze game dynamics that arose because of Grace's earlier contributions.
Making Cricket Popular-The Global Father of Cricket
Alongside his fantastic skills on the field, Grace was also an untiring promoter of cricket, becoming the first significant celebrity of the sport; he attracted huge crowds and brought fame to cricket. He provided lectures and demonstrations to expose people to cricket, and contributed to creating the rules and organizations that would run the sport.
Grace also changed the business side of the game. At the time, many players were amateurs that did not receive a financial remuneration for playing, and Grace sought to get paid for playing. This started to blur the lines between amateur and professional sports, and helped to build the professional cricket world we see now.
His legacy will see the game reaching across the globe, as he will be missed by the collective group of supporters worldwide on Kheloexch360, his implications have helped morph cricket from an exported English activity into the dominant international sport that exists today.
