Michael Allen (cricketer)

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Michael Allen (January 7, 1933 – October 6, 1995) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm slow bowler.

Allen's career started at Northamptonshire, who finished in fourth position in the County Championship in his debut season, 1956. Allen debuted against Worcestershire in May, and remained in the first team for the whole of the rest of the season. With a mid-table finish in 1956, Allen moved into a regular first-team place, and next season, Allen finished high in the bowling averages, as Northamptonshire finished second in the 1957 Championship table.

During the early part of 1958, Allen played for Marylebone Cricket Club, for whom he scored a duck on debut, and played one more match. He came back to Northamptonshire for the opening of the 1958 County Championship season, where, once again, the team played strongly, finishing in fourth position in the table. Come 1959, he played less often in the first team, though he made his debut for the Northamptonshire Second XI, taking a wicket in a two-day draw.

Allen played consistently for Northamptonshire until the end of the 1963 season, interspersed with some appearances for Marylebone Cricket Club. Northamptonshire finished seventh in the 1963 County Championship table, an improvement on their second-bottom table showing the previous season. Allen moved to Derbyshire for the opening of the 1964 season, debuting against Glamorgan in an almost playless match. Derbyshire finished in twelfth position in 1964, and improved upon this with a ninth place the following year, playing consistently throughout.

Allen represented Derbyshire for two more years, before quitting first-class cricket. Allen was a lower-order batsman and a consistent bowler, accruing five-wicket bowling hauls in eight individual seasons, and securing ten wickets in an individual match three times.

Allen died in Lancaster in 1995. He was a lower-order batsman during his Northamptonshire career, switching to the tailend on occasion while playing for Derbyshire.

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