Allan Gibson Steel
Encyclopedia
Allan Gibson "AG" Steel (registered at birth as Alan Gibson Steel) (24 September 1858 in West Derby
, Liverpool
– 15 June 1914 in London
) was a Lancashire
and England
cricket
er, who was reckoned by many in his day to be the equal of the legendary W G Grace.
The son of Joseph Steel of Liverpool, and Kirkwood in Scotland, he was one of seven cricketing brothers and three of his brothers Ernest (EE), Douglas (DQ) and Harold (HB), also played first-class cricket
for Lancashire. After his schooldays at Marlborough College
, where he played cricket superbly, he proceeded to Trinity Hall, Cambridge
. He was an instant star in the Cambridge University side of 1878 where he topped the bowling averages for the whole of England as a freshman. According to HS Altham, "it was unquestionably A.G. Steel's bowling that made the difference between a good and a great eleven".
Steel played in the first ever Test Match in England at the Oval in 1880, then in the famous Test which England narrowly lost in 1882. The mock obituary was published in the Sporting Times saying "R.I.P. English Cricket...the body will be cremated and the Ashes will be taken to Australia."
Soon after Steel set off for Australia with his Cambridge University friends Ivo Bligh and the Studd brothers
George and Charles, and a team they had put together. They toured Australia in 1882-1883 and won the agreed series 2-1, thus being given a small urn. They are commemorated by the poem inscribed on the side of the urn:
Steel scored 135 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a Fourth Test match arranged as an "extra" on that tour, in 1883. Over the whole tour he topped both the batting and the bowling averages.
Steel, who was known by his initials to differentiate him from his brothers, then made his highest Test score, of 148, in 1884 which was the first ever Test match
century scored at Lord's. His name still heads the Honours Board. He captained England in 1886 winning all three times - whitewashing the Australians 3-0. His last Test was in 1888, again as captain but losing this one.
He was president of the Marylebone Cricket Club
for 1902. His son Allan Ivo Steel
played a handful of first-class matches for MCC and Middlesex
but was killed in the First World War.
West Derby
West Derby is a suburb in the north of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census, the population of the ward was 14,801 .-History:...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
– 15 June 1914 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was a Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who was reckoned by many in his day to be the equal of the legendary W G Grace.
The son of Joseph Steel of Liverpool, and Kirkwood in Scotland, he was one of seven cricketing brothers and three of his brothers Ernest (EE), Douglas (DQ) and Harold (HB), also played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Lancashire. After his schooldays at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, where he played cricket superbly, he proceeded to Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. He was an instant star in the Cambridge University side of 1878 where he topped the bowling averages for the whole of England as a freshman. According to HS Altham, "it was unquestionably A.G. Steel's bowling that made the difference between a good and a great eleven".
Steel played in the first ever Test Match in England at the Oval in 1880, then in the famous Test which England narrowly lost in 1882. The mock obituary was published in the Sporting Times saying "R.I.P. English Cricket...the body will be cremated and the Ashes will be taken to Australia."
Soon after Steel set off for Australia with his Cambridge University friends Ivo Bligh and the Studd brothers
Studd brothers
The famous Studd brothers, Sir John Edward Kynaston, George and Charles , were Victorian gentleman cricketers; they were educated at Eton and Cambridge. They all represented Eton in the Eton v Harrow annual needle match and represented Cambridge at cricket...
George and Charles, and a team they had put together. They toured Australia in 1882-1883 and won the agreed series 2-1, thus being given a small urn. They are commemorated by the poem inscribed on the side of the urn:
- When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;
- StuddsStudd brothersThe famous Studd brothers, Sir John Edward Kynaston, George and Charles , were Victorian gentleman cricketers; they were educated at Eton and Cambridge. They all represented Eton in the Eton v Harrow annual needle match and represented Cambridge at cricket...
, Steel, ReadWalter ReadWalter William Read was an English cricketer, who was a fluent right hand bat. An occasional bowler of lobs, he sometimes switched to quick overarm deliveries. He captained England in two Test matches, winning them both...
and TylecoteEdward TylecoteEdward Ferdinando Sutton Tylecote - cricketer....
return, return; - The welkin will ring loud,
- The great crowd will feel proud,
- Seeing BarlowDick BarlowRichard Gorton Barlow was a cricketer who played for Lancashire and England...
and BatesBilly BatesWillie Bates, known as Billy was an English all-round cricketer. Excellent with both bat and ball, Bates scored over 10,000 first-class runs, took more than 870 wickets and was always reliable in the field...
with the urn, the urn; - And the rest coming home with the urn.
Steel scored 135 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a Fourth Test match arranged as an "extra" on that tour, in 1883. Over the whole tour he topped both the batting and the bowling averages.
Steel, who was known by his initials to differentiate him from his brothers, then made his highest Test score, of 148, in 1884 which was the first ever Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
century scored at Lord's. His name still heads the Honours Board. He captained England in 1886 winning all three times - whitewashing the Australians 3-0. His last Test was in 1888, again as captain but losing this one.
He was president of the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
for 1902. His son Allan Ivo Steel
Allan Ivo Steel
Allan Ivo Steel was an English cricketer.Allan Steel was born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, the son of the Lancashire cricketer A. G. Steel...
played a handful of first-class matches for MCC and Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
but was killed in the First World War.
See also
- History of Test cricket (to 1883)History of Test cricket (to 1883)Test matches in the period 1877 to 1883 were organised somewhat differently from international cricket matches today. The teams were rarely representative, and the boat trip between Australia and England, which usually lasted about 48 days, was one that many cricketers were unable or unwilling to...
- Test matches in the 19th century (1884 to 1889)