Gubby Allen

96
Gubby Allen bigraphy, stories - Cricketer

Gubby Allen : biography

31 July 1902 – 29 November 1989

Sir George Oswald Browning Allen, CBE (31 July 1902 – 29 November 1989), generally known as "Gubby", was a cricketer who played for Middlesex, Cambridge University, MCC and England. Australian-born, Allen was a fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, who captained England in eleven Test matches. He later became an influential cricket administrator.

Allen was born in Australia but moved to England at an early age. He first became well known as a cricketer playing for Eton College then at Cambridge, where he established a reputation as a fast bowler, albeit one who was often injured. Upon leaving university, Allen played mainly for Middlesex and improved as a batsman in the following seasons until work commitments prevented him playing regularly. A change of career allowed him to play more cricket, and by the late 1920s, he was on the verge of the England Test team, He made his debut against England in 1930, and was usually in contention for a place when available until the late 1930s. During the controversial Bodyline tour of 1932–33, Allen was very successful for England but refused to use the intimidatory tactics employed by his team-mates. From 1933, Allen worked in the London Stock Exchange, which limited his time available for cricket. Even so, he was appointed England captain in 1936 and led the team during the 1936–37 tour of Australia, when the home team won 3–2 having lost the first two matches. He continued to play for Middlesex before and after the Second World War, when he worked in Military Intelligence.

Allen’s first-class career gradually came to a close after the war, and he moved into administration. He held several important posts, including MCC treasurer and chairman, and had considerable influence in English and world cricket. He was instrumental in the creation of a MCC coaching manual, and worked hard to eliminate illegal bowling actions. He also served as a Test selector from 1954 to 1961.

Notes

First-class cricketer

Cambridge University

Towards the end of the 1921 cricket season, Allen was invited to play first-class cricket for Middlesex,Swanton, p. 45. for whom he qualified by residence—although his eligibility was questioned during the winter by the influential Lord Hawke.Swanton, p. 46. At the time, it was not unusual for schoolboys to play county cricket; several Eton pupils played during the 1921 season, and although the team were challenging successfully for the County Championship, another schoolboy played with Allen in the Middlesex team that season. Allen made his first-class debut against Somerset on 21 August 1921 and made one other appearance that season without achieving much in either match. But he had more opportunities with the Cambridge University team in the following season.Swanton, p. 47.

Allen was not initially included in the Cambridge University team, having failed in the trial match organised to choose the best eleven players. Left out of the first game, against Middlesex, Allen instead played for the county team and took six for 29 against the University. The press suggested that his place in the team was secure after this performance, and after success in the following games—including ten wickets in the game against Sussex—Allen was awarded his blue.Swanton, pp. 47–49. Around this time, Allen increased his bowling pace and, for the first time, began to bowl fast.Swanton, p. 48. In the University match against Oxford, Allen had match figures of nine for 78 in a comfortable Cambridge victory.Swanton, p. 51. This was Cambridge’s last game of the 1922 season—Allen had taken 49 first-class wickets at an average of 15. However, questions were raised in Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack about the fairness of his bowling action when he bowled his fastest deliveries. A further press report suggested that there were "murmurs" that he threw rather than bowled the ball. In his biography of Allen, E. W. Swanton suggests that these rumours were neither widespread nor repeated later in Allen’s career, and that they may have resulted from a one-off lapse in his bowling. Towards the end of the season, Allen returned to the Middlesex team. He had a light workload with bat and ball, possibly being protected from overwork by Middlesex, but his 15 wickets placed him at the top of the county’s bowling averages for the season.Swanton, p. 52.