Historic Cricket Pictures

Finding this quite hard to stomach from a country that is bombing the shit out of other countries…

Many sons of famous father's have found the expectation outweighs the reality. William Gilbert Grace junior also had to cope with the same name. An ordinary cricketer, he played for Cambridge Uni and Gloucestershire averaging 15 with the bat and 39 with the ball. He he was also handicapped by having the play in glasses. He went into teaching but died aged 30 after surgery for appendicitis

In the build-up to the 1975 Prudential World Cup the Daily Mirror's Ron Burton staged a photoshoot with the Chappell brothers ... in the event only pictures of Greg were used in the paper

I did not realise how close to folding Gloucestershire were at the outbreak of WW1. They were deep in debt and the early finish to the season hit their already stretched finances. They were losing £150,000 (in today's money) a season with falling gate money and subscriptions and in 1914 finished bottom of the Championship. They paid of their debts in 1919 by selling their Bristol ground. This clipping is from November 1914

Cricket at the Honorable Artillery Company ground around 1944. It is the only ground in the City of London. The effect of the German bombing is apparent all around, with the shells of buildings. St Paul's Cathedral stands defiant, as in so many wartime pictures of London

Bob Willis displays what Mike Brearley described as his "curtain rail" defence against spinners in Australia in 1978-79, pushing forward with his bat facing towards cover. Brearley said it was remarkably and surprisingly effective. Willis scored 88 runs at 11.00 in the six Tests, his highest aggregate in a series - but before anyone decides to give it a try, it's worth remembering in 90 Tests he scored 840 runs at 11.50 with a best of 28

A rare picture of WG Grace, on his 56th birthday, going out to open the batting for London County v MCC at Crystal Palace on July 18th 1904. Grace scored 166, his 124th and final first-class hundred. The photo was taken by KS Ranjitsinhji who batted No.4

Rose tinted spectacles perhaps, but what I would give to be eight again and listening to a Test with this line-up commentating. The Oval 1970. Brian Johnston, John Arlott, Trevor Bailey, Bill Frindall, Neil Durden-Smith and Richie Benaud. A handful of years away from CMJ ... Heaven

WG Grace at Lord's on his 50th birthday, July 18th 1898. Grace captained the Gentlemen v Players (the game had been rescheduled to mark the day) but lost the toss and spent the entire day in the field. Around 20,000 turned out to watch

For many years Essex's Robin Hobbs was labelled one of the last exponents of what was seen as the dying art of leg spin. He played the last of his seven Tests in 1971 - it was 21 years before another specialist legspinner played for England. He was the last English legspin bowler to take 1,000 first-class wickets - in all he took 1099 wickets at 27.09 with an economy rate of 2.86 (Patrick Eagar)

A view of The Oval during the 3rd and final England-South Africa Test in August 1907. The Hanson cab drivers outside waiting for customers use their elevated perches to get a good view of play

A general view of the Basin Reserve, Wellington during the 2nd Test between New Zealand and England, January 1930. This was New Zealand's second Test

A classic shot of Garry Sobers during his 163* England v West Indies, Lord's, June 20th, 1966. With West Indies only nine ahead with five second-innings wickets remaining, Sobers and his cousin, David Holford (105*) added 274 runs to save the match. The partnership set up a chance of a West Indies win on the final day. England, set 284 in four hours, were wobbling on 67 for 4 before rain and a brilliant Colin Milburn hundred got them off the hook as the match ended in a draw

@AdrianCrick yes

@PictureSporting Was that the bomb-scare test (Kanhai’s side)?

A sad day for cricket with the loss of a genuine great. Garry Sobers toasts the crowd after West Indies' crushing innings and 226 runs win at Lord's on August 27th 1973. Sobers signed off his last Test in England with 150* and six catches, equalling the then Test record for a non-wicketkeeper (Patrick Eagar)

A publicity picture of Garry Sobers taken at Lord's at the start of West Indies' 1963 tour of England. In the five Tests Sobers scored 322 runs at 40.25 and took 20 wickets at 28.55. On his five tours of England he scored 1820 runs at 53.53 and took 62 wickets at 31.58

@ChilmaidStuart He was an easy figure to get wound up ...

@PictureSporting Loved him leaving the field to a chorus of Cheerio

Ricky Ponting looks unimpressed as Rudi Koertzen gives him out caught at slip on review, England v Australia, 2nd Test, Lord's, July 17th 2009 (AFP). Ponting had been hit on the pad but Koertzen was of the opinion he had inside edged it first and wanted to check it carried. Ponting was clearly unimpressed as he believed he had missed it, and replays suggested he may have been right. Hawkeye subsequently indicated he would have been given out lbw anyway. So the right outcome even if for the wrong reason!

Wilfred Rhodes with his grandson, also Wilfred, at his home in Huddersfield in July 1930. Rhodes was 52 and was in his final season with Yorkshire. He had played his 58th and last Test only three months earlier, almost 31 years after his England debut. That summer he bowled almost 800 overs and took 73 wickets at 19.10, taking 5 for 95 against the Australians in his final match. His career record of 4204 first-class wickets at 16.72 will never be broken, and he also chipped in with 39969 runs at 30.81 including 58 centuries. For more I can recommend Wilfred Rhodes - The Triumphal Arch by Patrick Ferriday (@MasterlyBatting)