Gubby Allen

Who was Gubby Allen?

Sir George Oswald Browning Allen, CBE, generally known as "Gubby", 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.

Allen was born in Australia but moved to England at an early age. He first became well known as a cricketer playing for Eton College then at Cambridge, where he established a reputation as a fast bowler, albeit one who was often injured. Upon leaving university, Allen played mainly for Middlesex and improved as a batsman in the following seasons until work commitments prevented him playing 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 against England in 1930, and was usually in contention for a place when available until the late 1930s. During the controversial Bodyline tour of 1932–33, Allen was very successful for England but refused to use the intimidatory tactics employed by his team-mates. From 1933, Allen worked in the London Stock Exchange, which limited his time available for cricket. 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 for Middlesex before and after the Second World War, when he worked in Military Intelligence.