Gubby Allen

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Gubby Allen

England
Personal information
Full name George Oswald Browning Allen
Nickname Gubby
Born 31 July 1902(1902-07-31)
Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Died 29 November 1989 (aged 87)
St John's Wood, London, England
Role All-rounder
Batting style Right-hand
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Test debut 27 June 1930: v Australia
Last Test 1 April 1948: v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years Team
1921–1950 Middlesex
1922–1923 Cambridge University
1923–1953 MCC
Career statistics
Tests FC
Matches 25 265
Runs scored 750 9233
Batting average 24.19 28.67
100s/50s 1/3 11/47
Top score 122 180
Balls bowled 4386 36189
Wickets 81 788
Bowling average 29.37 22.23
5 wickets in innings 5 48
10 wickets in match 1 9
Best bowling 7/80 10/40
Catches/stumpings 20/0 131/0

As of 28 March 2008
Source: [[1]]

Sir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen, CBE (31 July 1902 — 29 November 1989) 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 11 Test matches. He later became an influential cricket administrator.

Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was awarded two blues, Allen played all of his cricket as an amateur. Between 1921 and 1950, he played for Middlesex and in 1930 was called to make his Test debut, in the second Test against Australia at Lord's. During the famous Bodyline series he strongly disagreed with the controversial tactics of Douglas Jardine, the English captain, but still took 21 wickets.

He still holds the England Test record partnership for the 8th wicket with Leslie Ames of 246 against New Zealand in 1931, and took all ten wickets in an innings for only 40 runs playing for Middlesex against Lancashire in 1929.

After retiring from the county game for Middlesex game in 1950, Allen remained an influential figure in cricket. He played until 1954 and scored an unbeaten first class century (143*) against Cambridge University for the Free Foresters in 1953 [2]. He chaired the selection panel for the England cricket team between 1955 and 1961. As a selector has been criticised for having been "...happiest in the company of clipped accents and a background that incorporated all the social graces" [3]. He was knighted for services to cricket in 1986. During his retirement he remained a regular fixture at Lord's Cricket Ground and around the Middlesex team. The MCC rented a house to him -- maintained by the groundstaff -- and a personal gate led from his garden into the ground, and he was granted his own key to the pavilion.

Preceded by:
Bob Wyatt
Norman Yardley		 English national cricket captain
1936-1936/7
1947/8		 Followed by:
Walter Robins
Norman Yardley

[edit] External references

Persondata
NAME Allen, Gubby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Allen, Sir George Oswald Browning
SHORT DESCRIPTION Cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH 31 July 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Bellevue Hill, Sydney, Australia
DATE OF DEATH 29 November 1989
PLACE OF DEATH St John's Wood, London, England