A Moment in Time...
On Tuesday, 29 August 1882, Australia beat England in a Test Match at the Oval. Without doubt, this match was the most significant in cricket's long, rich history: it was this match that brought about the fight for the great and mythical Ashes - a fight (nay, a war!) that has been waged for 1¼ centuries now.
Of course, no-one alive today was present when Ted Peate famously swiped across the line of a straight one from Dick Barlow to bring matters to a close in that match, giving Australia victory by seven runs, but so many different stories have emanated from the game that it has become rather difficult for me to determine whether or not they have any substance. Separating fact from fiction is the purpose of this post, and I hope that you will all jump on board. Here is the first point of interest (others shall be posted at a later stage):
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In Australia's second innings, it's captain, Billy Murdoch, chipped a delivery from Dick Barlow in the air and towards the unoccupied area at short square-leg, and he and his partner, Sammy Jones, set off for the run. English wicketkeeper Alfred Lyttelton flung his glove to the ground and raced after the ball, before throwing it back to W.G. Grace, who had taken up Lyttelton's just-vacated position behind the stumps.
Grace gathered it, with young Jones having got home safely. Then, according to Henry Blofeld (Cricket's Great Entertainers, p. 16), The Grand Old Man of English Cricket, ball in hand, walked casually towards the bowler - so as to trick Jones into thinking that the ball was out of play and that he was about to return it.
Jones, in his naiveteé, fell for the trap: we are told that he left the crease to pat down some uneven-looking turf halfway down the track. It was at this point that Grace, having waited in patient silence for his chance, moved back swiftly, whipped off the bails and squeaked out his appeal. (Grace's voice was, famously, very high-pitched.) The appeal was made on technical grounds alone, because the ball had come to rest in neither the bowler nor the wicketkeeper's hands, and thus, hypothetically at least, and according to the rules, it was still in play.
One or two reports state that Grace had to insist to incredulous square-leg umpire Bob Thoms that his appeal was an earnest one. Thoms was insistent in later conversation with Charles Pardon that his reply to Grace was nothing more than a decisive and monosyllabic "Out!"
Many sources, however, have Thoms expressing an opinion on Grace's unsportsmanlike conduct when giving his decision. "If you appeal for it, sir - out!" Ralph Barker quotes him; "I'm sorry to say the gentleman is out" is Fred Spofforth's version. Joe Darling, who did not feature in this match but came to be immensely critical of Grace's ways when their paths finally did cross on the cricket field, tells us that Thoms gave his decision before adding, "It's not cricket."
To some, whatever Thoms had said, he had delivered a questionable verdict, as the ball was believed to have been dead when the wicket was broken, and it was therefore assumed that Thoms (like so many more before him) had given in to the arresting sight of the adamant Doctor. This umpire, however, was popularly believed to be one of the strongest in England, and he was certainly not one who would succumb easily to any of Grace's more imposing attempts at intimidating him or bending the rules.
Either way, though, Sammy Jones was out. Perhaps it was foolish of him to have left his crease in the first place, but it was the lack of sportsmanship displayed by W.G. Grace in taking advantage that so angered the Australians, and they voiced their collective opinion on the matter in the dressing room, Wisden's chronicler overhearing them.
In the moments immediately following the incident, Grace is said to have been verbally abused by quite a number in the crowd, while Billy Murdoch expressed his overt view of Grace's actions right there and then. Murdoch understood that his old friend had been well within his rights to do what he had done, but it had, nevertheless, been an action that had gone against the spirit of the game - and that was indisputable.
Some doubted that Jones would have left his crease in the first place had he had known Grace better. W.G. had a reputation for sharp practise, and Jones would have done well to have noted it. Grace was well known for his exploitation of younger, more naive players, and he is supposed to have believed that he was well within his rights to do what he had just done; he was proud of his cleverness and showed no remorse at the general disapproval shown by those around him. Grace's unquenchable thirst for victory had been contrary to proper sporting conduct and had cheapened cricket's great name, causing the sort of anger and conflagration within the Australian camp that had not been seen on this tour since George Bonnor's almost-violent confrontation with a snobbish county secretary.
Up in the pavilion, meanwhile, Wisden's reporter heard a spectator enthuse that "Jones ought thank 'The Champion for teaching him something". A few of my sources note that Spofforth, the next man in (who was less than pleased with what had just transpired), heard a comment in the pavilion - perhaps it was the same one? - that did little to improve his mood as he left the dressing room and made his way out into the centre. This, along with Grace's foul deed, is said to have inspired him to perform one of the mot amazing feats in cricket history.
*
Portions of this reconstruction (which has been put together using mostly from secondary sources) are probably erroneous pieces of fantasty, concocted by authors with a sense of dramatic enhancement. What I would like to know is what is true and what is false.
Perhaps a few of you have books, documents or reports that could verify some of the information that has been put together here. I believe that I can guarantee you that this is the most complete account of the Jones run-out that you are likely to find on the web, but the whole thing by no means confirmed, and I would appreciate any help in that regard.
There is still more to the story of the 1882 Test Match, but I will post that at a later stage.
On Tuesday, 29 August 1882, Australia beat England in a Test Match at the Oval. Without doubt, this match was the most significant in cricket's long, rich history: it was this match that brought about the fight for the great and mythical Ashes - a fight (nay, a war!) that has been waged for 1¼ centuries now.
Of course, no-one alive today was present when Ted Peate famously swiped across the line of a straight one from Dick Barlow to bring matters to a close in that match, giving Australia victory by seven runs, but so many different stories have emanated from the game that it has become rather difficult for me to determine whether or not they have any substance. Separating fact from fiction is the purpose of this post, and I hope that you will all jump on board. Here is the first point of interest (others shall be posted at a later stage):
*
In Australia's second innings, it's captain, Billy Murdoch, chipped a delivery from Dick Barlow in the air and towards the unoccupied area at short square-leg, and he and his partner, Sammy Jones, set off for the run. English wicketkeeper Alfred Lyttelton flung his glove to the ground and raced after the ball, before throwing it back to W.G. Grace, who had taken up Lyttelton's just-vacated position behind the stumps.
Grace gathered it, with young Jones having got home safely. Then, according to Henry Blofeld (Cricket's Great Entertainers, p. 16), The Grand Old Man of English Cricket, ball in hand, walked casually towards the bowler - so as to trick Jones into thinking that the ball was out of play and that he was about to return it.
Jones, in his naiveteé, fell for the trap: we are told that he left the crease to pat down some uneven-looking turf halfway down the track. It was at this point that Grace, having waited in patient silence for his chance, moved back swiftly, whipped off the bails and squeaked out his appeal. (Grace's voice was, famously, very high-pitched.) The appeal was made on technical grounds alone, because the ball had come to rest in neither the bowler nor the wicketkeeper's hands, and thus, hypothetically at least, and according to the rules, it was still in play.
One or two reports state that Grace had to insist to incredulous square-leg umpire Bob Thoms that his appeal was an earnest one. Thoms was insistent in later conversation with Charles Pardon that his reply to Grace was nothing more than a decisive and monosyllabic "Out!"
Many sources, however, have Thoms expressing an opinion on Grace's unsportsmanlike conduct when giving his decision. "If you appeal for it, sir - out!" Ralph Barker quotes him; "I'm sorry to say the gentleman is out" is Fred Spofforth's version. Joe Darling, who did not feature in this match but came to be immensely critical of Grace's ways when their paths finally did cross on the cricket field, tells us that Thoms gave his decision before adding, "It's not cricket."
To some, whatever Thoms had said, he had delivered a questionable verdict, as the ball was believed to have been dead when the wicket was broken, and it was therefore assumed that Thoms (like so many more before him) had given in to the arresting sight of the adamant Doctor. This umpire, however, was popularly believed to be one of the strongest in England, and he was certainly not one who would succumb easily to any of Grace's more imposing attempts at intimidating him or bending the rules.
Either way, though, Sammy Jones was out. Perhaps it was foolish of him to have left his crease in the first place, but it was the lack of sportsmanship displayed by W.G. Grace in taking advantage that so angered the Australians, and they voiced their collective opinion on the matter in the dressing room, Wisden's chronicler overhearing them.
In the moments immediately following the incident, Grace is said to have been verbally abused by quite a number in the crowd, while Billy Murdoch expressed his overt view of Grace's actions right there and then. Murdoch understood that his old friend had been well within his rights to do what he had done, but it had, nevertheless, been an action that had gone against the spirit of the game - and that was indisputable.
Some doubted that Jones would have left his crease in the first place had he had known Grace better. W.G. had a reputation for sharp practise, and Jones would have done well to have noted it. Grace was well known for his exploitation of younger, more naive players, and he is supposed to have believed that he was well within his rights to do what he had just done; he was proud of his cleverness and showed no remorse at the general disapproval shown by those around him. Grace's unquenchable thirst for victory had been contrary to proper sporting conduct and had cheapened cricket's great name, causing the sort of anger and conflagration within the Australian camp that had not been seen on this tour since George Bonnor's almost-violent confrontation with a snobbish county secretary.
Up in the pavilion, meanwhile, Wisden's reporter heard a spectator enthuse that "Jones ought thank 'The Champion for teaching him something". A few of my sources note that Spofforth, the next man in (who was less than pleased with what had just transpired), heard a comment in the pavilion - perhaps it was the same one? - that did little to improve his mood as he left the dressing room and made his way out into the centre. This, along with Grace's foul deed, is said to have inspired him to perform one of the mot amazing feats in cricket history.
*
Portions of this reconstruction (which has been put together using mostly from secondary sources) are probably erroneous pieces of fantasty, concocted by authors with a sense of dramatic enhancement. What I would like to know is what is true and what is false.
Perhaps a few of you have books, documents or reports that could verify some of the information that has been put together here. I believe that I can guarantee you that this is the most complete account of the Jones run-out that you are likely to find on the web, but the whole thing by no means confirmed, and I would appreciate any help in that regard.
There is still more to the story of the 1882 Test Match, but I will post that at a later stage.