George Louden

Who was George Louden?

George Louden was an Essex cricketer who was for a period after World War I almost certainly the best hard-wicket bowler in England. He was very tall at around 190 cm, and although not strongly enough framed to be ideal for long spells on hard wickets, his remarkably beautiful action compensated. He was able to gain pace and lift the ball sharply from even the beautiful Leyton pitches, and could be extremely difficult when helped by a heavy dew or shower that softened the surface.

However, owing to business commitments, most of Louden's cricket was played for the Ilford club. Typically he was able to play seven or eight county matches per season. Because the matches he did play were usually against the strongest batting sides like Surrey, Yorkshire, Middlesex and Lancashire, Louden's career average of 22.35 does not look at all exceptional for an era of uncovered pitches. However, owing to the immense disparities in batting strength among the counties during the 1920s, Louden's average represents much better bowling than many bowlers with much lower averages against weak opposition.