Grace Edward “E.M.” Image 3 Gloucestershire 1888

Description

Downend, near Bristol born Edward Mills “E.M.” Grace was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow right arm underarm. Fred Grace was the youngest member of the Grace family. His four brothers all played cricket: Henry, Alfred, “W.G.” and Fred. He was one of the great cricketers of the 1860’s and 1870’s, though he was overshadowed by his younger brother W.G. He was called Ted by the Grace family but elsewhere by his initials only.

Grace performed one of the most amazing all-round feats ever on 15th August 1862. He carried his bat through the entire M.C.C. innings, scoring 192 not out of a total of 344. He then took all 10 wickets in the Kent first innings for 69 runs. Although the match is recognised as first class, it is not an official record as it was a 12-a-side game.

After the 1863 season, Grace toured America with George Parr’s side, but he did not perform well, being hampered by an injured hand. He then pulled out of first class cricket whilst he qualified as a surgeon, but returned on the formation of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in 1871, of which he was secretary until his resignation in 1909. Grace’s nickname was “The Coroner”, since he was coroner for the lower division of Gloucestershire. Thanks mainly to the combined efforts of the Grace brothers, Gloucestershire became the County Champions in 1874, 1876 and 1877; they also shared the title in 1873.

All three brothers were selected for the first Test match played in England, which was played at the Oval in August 1880, in which E.M. scored 36 runs across the two innings. This remains the only instance of three brothers playing for England in the same Test with E.M., W.G. and Fred appearing, although Fred tragically died of pneumonia the next month from a cold caught at the time developing into pneumonia.

Grace finally dropped out of the Gloucestershire first team in 1896, aged 54, but he continued playing club cricket for Thornbury until 1909, despite increasing lameness.

In 314 first class matches, he scored 10,025 runs at an average of 18.66, with 5 centuries and 44 half centuries, with a highest score of 192 not out. He took 305 wickets at 20.37 apiece, with 2 ten wicket matches and 17 five wicket innings. However it was once calculated that, in all matches, his career tallies amounted to 12,078 wickets and 76,760 runs. In the 1863 season alone he managed 339 wickets and 3,074 runs.