Eric Bedser
Encyclopedia
Eric Arthur Bedser was a cricket
player for Surrey County Cricket Club
. He was the elder identical twin brother of Sir Alec
(1918-2010), widely regarded as one of England's top bowlers of the 20th century. Eric was an all-rounder
, a useful right-handed batsman and right-arm off-spin bowler.
Bedser was born in Reading
, Berkshire
just 10 minutes before his twin brother. The twins were regarded as 'inseparable' throughout their lives, and they often dressed identically. Their father served in the Royal Flying Corps
in the First World War, later becoming a bricklayer
. He also played cricket and football.
The Bedser brothers began playing cricket together at age seven for local school sides and Woking Cricket Club. Both twins also played football for Surrey Boys, and considered a professional career in that sport. They were educated at Maybury Junior School and Monument Hill Central School. From the age of 14, the twins worked as clerks at a solicitor's office in Lincoln's Inn Fields
. They were spotted by Surrey coach Alan Peach
in 1938 and joined the Surrey county squad staff at The Oval
, making their first-class
debuts in the same match the in June 1939. There is a famous story that when Eric and Alec were first selected for Surrey, they agreed they couldn't both be fast bowlers, as at that time they were. A flip of the coin saw Alec win the toss, and Eric consequently took up off-spin bowling, for which he became very adept in a Surrey county team that was dominated by famous spinners such as Jim Laker
and Tony Lock
, and concentrated on his batting.
The pair were called up for duty with the Royal Air Force
in 1939, serving in France and being evacuated from Dunkirk. They later served variously together throughout the war, in North Africa and Italy. Eric was promoted to Warrant Officer
(and Alec refused a similar promotion, staying a flight sergeant
so they could stay together), and both being demobilised in 1946, and returned to cricket at Surrey.
Bedser enjoyed a successful first-class career, a member of the successful Surrey team that won seven successive County Championship
s from 1952 to 1958, despite many of the sides best players being away playing for England
. Despite being called to a Test Trial in 1950, in which Laker took 8 wickets for 2 runs, one of which was scored by Eric, he was never called to play in a Test himself: he played for England only once, in a first-class tour match in Tasmania
. As a result, Eric's record will always be lacking when compared with Alec's, who played in 51 Test matches
, although Eric often accompanied Alec on overseas tours.
In a first-class career that lasted twenty-three years, Bedser played in 457 matches for Surrey, scoring 14,716 runs at the useful batting average
of 24.00, and taking 833 wicket
s at the good bowling average
of 24.95. He passed 1,000 runs in six seasons.
After retiring from playing cricket he went into business with his brother. Among other business interests, they co-operated with Ronald Straker in a successful stationery
firm, Straker-Bedser, which was later taken over by Ryman
in 1977. While Alec became a selector for England, Eric served on various committees at Surrey. He was president of Surrey County Cricket Club in 1990.
Neither twin married, living together in a house that they built with their father in 1953 in Woking, until Eric died aged 87 in Woking.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player for Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. He was the elder identical twin brother of Sir Alec
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
(1918-2010), widely regarded as one of England's top bowlers of the 20th century. Eric was an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, a useful right-handed batsman and right-arm off-spin bowler.
Bedser was born in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
just 10 minutes before his twin brother. The twins were regarded as 'inseparable' throughout their lives, and they often dressed identically. Their father served in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in the First World War, later becoming a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
. He also played cricket and football.
The Bedser brothers began playing cricket together at age seven for local school sides and Woking Cricket Club. Both twins also played football for Surrey Boys, and considered a professional career in that sport. They were educated at Maybury Junior School and Monument Hill Central School. From the age of 14, the twins worked as clerks at a solicitor's office in Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London, UK. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in developing London", as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner observes...
. They were spotted by Surrey coach Alan Peach
Alan Peach
Herbert Alan Peach , was an English cricketer who played for Surrey. He was an all-rounder: a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler.Alan Peach was born at Maidstone, Kent...
in 1938 and joined the Surrey county squad staff at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, making their first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debuts in the same match the in June 1939. There is a famous story that when Eric and Alec were first selected for Surrey, they agreed they couldn't both be fast bowlers, as at that time they were. A flip of the coin saw Alec win the toss, and Eric consequently took up off-spin bowling, for which he became very adept in a Surrey county team that was dominated by famous spinners such as Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
and Tony Lock
Tony Lock
Graham Anthony Richard Lock was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner. He played in forty nine Tests for England taking 174 wickets at 25.58 each.-Life and career:...
, and concentrated on his batting.
The pair were called up for duty with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1939, serving in France and being evacuated from Dunkirk. They later served variously together throughout the war, in North Africa and Italy. Eric was promoted to Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
(and Alec refused a similar promotion, staying a flight sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
so they could stay together), and both being demobilised in 1946, and returned to cricket at Surrey.
Bedser enjoyed a successful first-class career, a member of the successful Surrey team that won seven successive County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
s from 1952 to 1958, despite many of the sides best players being away playing for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
. Despite being called to a Test Trial in 1950, in which Laker took 8 wickets for 2 runs, one of which was scored by Eric, he was never called to play in a Test himself: he played for England only once, in a first-class tour match in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. As a result, Eric's record will always be lacking when compared with Alec's, who played in 51 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, although Eric often accompanied Alec on overseas tours.
In a first-class career that lasted twenty-three years, Bedser played in 457 matches for Surrey, scoring 14,716 runs at the useful batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 24.00, and taking 833 wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s at the good bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 24.95. He passed 1,000 runs in six seasons.
After retiring from playing cricket he went into business with his brother. Among other business interests, they co-operated with Ronald Straker in a successful stationery
Stationery
Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:...
firm, Straker-Bedser, which was later taken over by Ryman
Ryman
Ryman is the largest British stationery retailer, historically based in London, now based in its £100m headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire.-Formation:...
in 1977. While Alec became a selector for England, Eric served on various committees at Surrey. He was president of Surrey County Cricket Club in 1990.
Neither twin married, living together in a house that they built with their father in 1953 in Woking, until Eric died aged 87 in Woking.