Gubby Allen
Encyclopedia
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 eleven Test
matches. He later became an influential cricket administrator.
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, Allen strongly disagreed with the controversial tactics of Douglas Jardine
, the English captain, and refused to bowl leg theory
; he still took 21 wickets in the series. The professionals on the tour, paid rather less money than the 'amateurs' received as 'expenses', did not have the luxury or the right to refuse.
Allen held the England Test record partnership for the 8th wicket, 246 against New Zealand in 1931, made with Leslie Ames, until this was broken by Jonathan Trott
and Stuart Broad
who put on 332 against Pakistan in August 2010. He also took all ten wickets in an innings for only 40 runs playing for Middlesex against Lancashire in 1929 in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Lord's. He took the last four wickets in just five balls, having taken the field twenty minutes late due to working in the morning. Interestingly, reports suggest that, despite arriving twenty minutes late, he was put on to bowl 'immediately' - contravening the Laws of Cricket. He should not have been allowed to bowl until 20 minutes had elapsed. Indeed, had he been a professional, he would at the very least have been reprimanded, and possibly even sent home in disgrace. Due to his work commitments in the City
, he made only 146 appearances for Middlesex in thirty years on the playing roster.
Allen 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".
Allen was knight
ed for 'services to cricket
' in 1986. It completed a family hat-trick, as both his father Pelham Warner and grandfather had been similarly honoured. During his retirement he was regularly to be seen at Lord's Cricket Ground
and around the Middlesex team. He gave fifty years service to the MCC
, serving as President in 1963-4 and Treasurer for 12 years thereafter. MCC rented a house to him maintained by the groundstaff: a personal gate led from his garden into the ground, and he was granted his own key to the pavilion.
When close to death in 1989, he requested that he was taken home from hospital, so he could die within sight of the pavilion, and the stand at Lord's that bore his name.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(31 July 1902 – 29 November 1989) was a cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
, MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and England. Australian-born, Allen was a fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
batsman, who captained England in eleven Test
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...
matches. He later became an influential cricket administrator.
Career
Educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he was awarded two blues, Allen played all of his cricket as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
. Between 1921 and 1950, he played for Middlesex and in 1930 was called to make his Test debut, in the second Test
Australian cricket team in England in 1930
Australia won the 1930 Ashes series against England, winning two of the matches and losing one, with the other two tests drawn:*1st Test — England won by 93 runs - *2nd Test — Australia won by 7 wickets -...
against Australia at Lord's. During the famous Bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
series, Allen strongly disagreed with the controversial tactics of Douglas Jardine
Douglas Jardine
Douglas Robert Jardine was an English cricketer and captain of the England cricket team from 1931 to 1933–34.When describing cricket seasons, the convention used is that a single year represents an English cricket season, while two years represent a southern hemisphere cricket season because it...
, the English captain, and refused to bowl leg theory
Leg theory
Leg theory is a bowling tactic in the sport of cricket. The term leg theory is somewhat archaic and seldom used any more, but the basic tactic still plays a part in modern cricket....
; he still took 21 wickets in the series. The professionals on the tour, paid rather less money than the 'amateurs' received as 'expenses', did not have the luxury or the right to refuse.
Allen held the England Test record partnership for the 8th wicket, 246 against New Zealand in 1931, made with Leslie Ames, until this was broken by Jonathan Trott
Jonathan Trott
Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott is a South African-born England Test cricketer. Domestically, he plays for Warwickshire and he has also played in South Africa and New Zealand...
and Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad
Stuart Christopher John Broad is a cricketer who plays Test and One Day International cricket for England and is currently the captain of their Twenty20 team...
who put on 332 against Pakistan in August 2010. He also took all ten wickets in an innings for only 40 runs playing for Middlesex against Lancashire in 1929 in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Lord's. He took the last four wickets in just five balls, having taken the field twenty minutes late due to working in the morning. Interestingly, reports suggest that, despite arriving twenty minutes late, he was put on to bowl 'immediately' - contravening the Laws of Cricket. He should not have been allowed to bowl until 20 minutes had elapsed. Indeed, had he been a professional, he would at the very least have been reprimanded, and possibly even sent home in disgrace. Due to his work commitments in the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, he made only 146 appearances for Middlesex in thirty years on the playing roster.
After Middlesex career
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.Allen 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".
Allen was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed for 'services to cricket
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...
' in 1986. It completed a family hat-trick, as both his father Pelham Warner and grandfather had been similarly honoured. During his retirement he was regularly to be seen at Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
and around the Middlesex team. He gave fifty years service to the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, serving as President in 1963-4 and Treasurer for 12 years thereafter. MCC rented a house to him maintained by the groundstaff: a personal gate led from his garden into the ground, and he was granted his own key to the pavilion.
When close to death in 1989, he requested that he was taken home from hospital, so he could die within sight of the pavilion, and the stand at Lord's that bore his name.