"GOOD OLD GRACE!"
(Doggerel on "The Doctor," by an "Old Duffer.")
"Dr. Grace, who seemed to forget his lameness, played with great vigour and dash, and his cuts and drives possessed all their old brilliancy."—The Times, on the exciting finish in the Cricket Match between the M.C.C. and the Australians, June 3, 1890.
One hundred and eleven runs, and eighty-five minutes to make 'em in,
And with Turner and Ferris to trundle as fast as they could pitch and break 'em in!
And it looked any odds on Murdoch's men contriving to make a draw of it;
But Cricket, my lads, is a curious game, and uncertainty seems the sole law of it.
So they sent in Grace and Shuter to start. Well, the Doctor is now called "a veteran,"
But at forty-two when he's on the job 'tisn't easy to pick out a better 'un.
And he "spanked for four," like a lad once more, and he cut and he drove like winking;
Though his leg was lame, he forgot that same, and he "played the game" without shrinking.
And Surrey's Shuter he did his part, and so did Notts' Gunn, Sir,
Though he might have chucked the game away when the Doctor he managed to out-run, Sir.
It was hard, you see, upon W. G. in that way to lose his wicket,
But all the same he had won the game, and had played superlative Cricket.
Forty-three to make, and forty-five minutes! But Grace and Gunn were equal to it;
And a win, with a quarter of an hour in hand, was the satisfactory sequel to it.
The Australians played a manly game, without any dawdling or shirking;
And if they didn't avoid defeat why it wasn't for want of hard working.
But the stiff-legged "Doctor" who forced the game in the most judgmatical fashion,
And forgot his leg and his "forty year" odd, full flushed with a Cricketer's passion!
Why he's the chap who deserves a shout. Bravo, brave "W. G," Sir.
And when you next are on the job, may the "Duffer" be there to see, Sir!
