by Abhishek Mukherjee

Here is an anecdote about Bob Carpenter about an incident that took place on 8 July 1872.

Carpenter used to be one of the best batsmen between Fuller Pilch and WG Grace. But now, at 41, he was not as fit as he used to be – though he was still a top-quality player.

Grace scored 77 and 112 a Gentlemen vs Players match, followed by 117 in the next one.

The next outing for both men was a match between England (Rest of England, technically) and a combined team of Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. This was good news for Carpenter: "I have had about enough of fielding out to Mr Grace this week; but thank goodness I shall be on his side the next match."

Grace continued with his superb form, following 77, 112, and 117 with 170* and 31* in the match. The first-innings performance has been rated by some (including Grace's biographers, Lord Hawke, Lord Harris, and Home Gordon) as the finest innings till then.

Carpenter joined Grace at 77/2. Grace was a hard hitter as well as a prolific runner between wickets, so poor Carpenter had to do some running.The pair added exactly a hundred runs in an hour before Carpenter fell for 36. He was applauded on his way back.

"Well, Carpenter, you ought to feel happy today, observed a colleague."

"Feel happy! If I had been in much longer I should have died. It is a deal harder work to be in with him than fielding against him. When you are fielding you do get a rest now and again, but when batting you never do!"

Indeed, there was a salient feature in the partnership. There was no boundary hits.