ABSTRACT

Grace was an outstanding athlete as a young man. He won the 440 yards hurdling title at the National Olympian Games at Crystal Palace in August 1866. Becoming a first-class cricketer was Grace’s aim. Initially many factors were against him, including his not being born in nor having close ties to a first-class county and not being initially eligible to have membership in the Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodians of the game, as being the son of a provincial doctor was not a high enough ranking position in society for the club. In June 1865, Grace Played for Gentlemen of the South versus Players of the South in his first-class debut. By the 1880s, Grace mixed his general practitioner work with Test match cricket. Although the early matches were recognised retrospectively, Test cricket began in 1877. Grace was the first great international sport star and arguably the most famous celebrity in Victorian England.