Bill Alley

Who was Bill Alley?

William Edward Alley was a cricketer who played 400 first-class matches for New South Wales, Somerset and a Commonwealth XI.

Whilst in Australia, Alley was also a middleweight boxer, and was undefeated in 28 contests when he was forced to give it up after being hit on the head in the nets at cricket practice. Later he was tipped to play Tests by Don Bradman, the Australian cricket captain, but missed out after fracturing a jaw. This prompted him to leave New South Wales and come to Lancashire, England, playing league cricket there for Colne Cricket Club for five years from 1948, becoming the only player to score 1000 runs in each of five consecutive seasons in the league's history. He moved to play for Blackpool CC in the newly established Northern League where he scored 19 centuries, and joined Somerset CCC when he was 38. He played his last and 350th first-class game for Somerset when he was 49.

After stopping playing, he umpired first-class games for 16 years and also stood in 10 Test matches and 9 One Day Internationals as umpire. He so loved the West Country area of England that he chose to remain there after retirement rather than move back to his native Australia.