Gubby Allen

Sir
George Allen

CBE
Headshot of a man in a white shirt
Allen, photographed c. 1933
Personal information
Full name
George Oswald Browning Allen
Born(1902-07-31)31 July 1902
Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Died29 November 1989(1989-11-29) (aged 87)
St John's Wood, London, England
NicknameGubby
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut27 June 1930 v Australia
Last Test1 April 1948 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1921–1950Middlesex
1922–1923Cambridge University
1923–1953Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 25 265
Runs scored 750 9,233
Batting average 24.19 28.67
100s/50s 1/3 11/47
Top score 122 180
Balls bowled 4,386 36,189
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/– 131/–
Source: CricketArchive, 28 March 2008

Sir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen[notes 1] CBE (31 July 1902 – 29 November 1989) was a cricketer who captained England in eleven Test matches. In first-class matches, he played for Middlesex and Cambridge University. A fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, Allen later became an influential cricket administrator who held key positions in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which effectively ruled English cricket at the time; he also served as chairman of the England selectors.

Allen was born in Australia and grew up in England from the age of six. After playing cricket for Eton College, he went to Cambridge University where he established a reputation as a fast bowler, albeit one who was often injured. After leaving university, Allen played mainly for Middlesex. He improved as a batsman in the following seasons until work commitments forced him to play less 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 in 1930, and remained in contention for a place, when he was available to play, for the rest of the decade. During the controversial Bodyline tour of 1932–33, Allen was very successful for England but refused to use the intimidatory tactics employed by his teammates.

From 1933, Allen worked in the London Stock Exchange, which limited the amount of cricket he could play. 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 irregularly for Middlesex until 1939; after the Second World War, in which he worked in military intelligence, he played occasionally for Middlesex and other teams into the 1950s. He captained England in a final Test series in the West Indies in 1947–48. As a cricketer, Allen was affected by his lack of regular play and was at his most effective during his two tours of Australia when he was able to build up his form. At other times, his bowling was often erratic but occasionally devastating. An orthodox batsman, he often scored runs when his team were under pressure.

As Allen's first-class career came to a close, he moved into administration and held 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. As chairman of selectors from 1955 to 1961, he presided over a period of great success for English cricket, during which he worked closely with the Test captain Peter May. In 1963, he became MCC president, and was made the club's treasurer the following year. In this role, he was deeply involved in the D'Oliveira affair, a controversy over the potential selection of Basil D'Oliveira to tour South Africa. After Allen's gradual retirement from his administrative roles, he was knighted in 1986 and spent his later years in a flat close to Lord's, where he died, aged 87, in 1989.

  1. ^ Swanton, p. 1.


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