The story of W G Grace and how his father started him off in 1848 and just proves the point that kids without mums and dads struggle with life!

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Grace began his Cricketing Reminiscences (1899) by answering a question he had frequently been asked: i.e., was he "born a cricketer?" His answer was in the negative because he believed that "cricketers are made by coaching and practice", though he adds that if he was not born a cricketer, he was born "in the atmosphere of cricket". His father and mother were "full of enthusiasm for the game" and it was a common theme of conversation at home.

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In 1850, when W.G. was two and Fred was expected, the family moved to a nearby house called "The Chesnuts" which had a sizeable orchard and Henry Grace organized clearance of this to establish a practice pitch that was to become famous throughout the world of cricket. All nine children in the Grace family, including the four daughters, were encouraged to play cricket although the girls, along with the dogs, were required for fielding only. Grace claimed that he first handled a cricket bat at the age of two.

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It was in the Downend orchard and as members of their local cricket clubs that he and his brothers developed their skills, mainly under the tutelage of his uncle, Alfred Pocock, who was an exceptional coach. Apart from his cricket and his schooling, Grace lived the life of a country boy and roamed freely with the other village boys. One of his regular activities was stone throwing at birds in the fields and he later claimed that this "was the source of his eventual skill as an outfielder”

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W G Grace and his ability as a batsman, bowler, fielder and a doctor was unbelievable. His love of cricket from a child onwards and his ability meant that he dominated cricket from 1850 to the end of the century and was in effect responsible for guiding cricket to the gentleman’s game it is today.

Cricket slowly developed from the 1900’s through to 1940 during the WW1. Len Hutton who became Sir Len Hutton made 164 at Lords for England, being the highest score ever achieved by an Englishmen. Then the crash happened then WW2 finished and the arrival of 1948 Australians followed by West Indies, Ramadin, Valentine and Gary Sobers taught us how to play cricket.

W.G. Grace had an extraordinary career