5 facts about English cricket history that you probably didn't know

#3 W.G. Grace was the first cricketer to endorse a product

W G Grace became an ambassador for Colman's Mustard.

The legendary exploits of W.G. Grace are quite well known and he is regarded as the father of the modern batting technique. He was a pioneer of all sorts of things, including sledging and the refusal to accept his dismissal, which is politely termed as 'gamesmanship'.

He represents England and English cricket like nobody else. Hence, a fact about him is as much about W.G. Grace as it is about English cricket.

Grace's reputation as a pioneer, however, stretches beyond the field. He was the first ever cricketer to have endorsed a popular product when in 1895, he became an ambassador for Colman's Mustard.

The advertisement was in the form of a poster (obviously) and contained a photograph of Grace walking down the pavilion. The poster also consisted of the tagline 'Colman's Mustard Heads the Field'. Colman's Mustard is a product that is still sold in England and is now owned by Unilever.